Unleash Your Potential With Us

As a next-generation public research institution, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you become an integral part of our mission to become a university for the future. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck.

The Opportunity

The University of Central Florida (UCF) has established several interdisciplinary centers to strengthen its academic offerings and research mission. In support of this effort, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) invites applicants for two (2) faculty positions at the rank of assistant professor (tenure-earning) or associate professor (tenured), for the university research center on Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES). The positions and technical fields are:

(1) Reliable DERs for Grid Integration:

The selected candidate must exhibit expertise in the reliability of inverter-based resources. This individual should have a strong understanding of the various failure modes and degradation mechanisms common to inverters, micro-inverters, and DC optimizers, and be able to work on solutions to improve reliability and lengthen the operational lifetime of these components. This will likely require a strong background in power semiconductor materials and devices, power electronics, failure mode analysis, data analytics, and various applications of inverter-based resources (e.g., PV, EVs, wind). The selected candidate should be proficient in the design, characterization, and modeling of the various devices and components that make up inverters and have strong connections to top research groups and companies working in this area. Prior experience in national laboratories or in industry is highly preferred.

(2) Resilience of Energy Systems:

The selected candidate  will be someone who can use multidisciplinary tools from nonlinear dynamics, network theory, optimization, and control to analyze interdependent energy systems and develop innovative metrics and methodologies for resilience enhancement. Examples of resilience analysis include quantification of interdependence, identification and characterization of cascaded failures, determination and impact analysis of uncommon but impactful events, mitigation and response strategies for real-time operation, and long-term planning and investment strategies for hardening, etc. Interests and experiences in interdisciplinary, human-centric, and community-based research on resilience are highly desired.

These positions have an anticipated start date of August 8, 2023. Each of the interdisciplinary hires will be expected to strengthen both the RISES Center and the tenure home department, ECE within the department in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and may include a combination of joint appointments. Both individual/interdisciplinary infrastructure and startup support will be provided with these new positions.  The positions will carry a rank commensurate with the candidate’s prior experience and record.

The ideal candidates will work at the intersection of the relevant research areas associated with the aforementioned themes. They will have research impact as reflected in high-quality publications and the ability to build a funded and sustainable research program. We are looking for team players who can help bring together current campus efforts in energy systems research. Prior experiences as a full-time researcher at a national lab or large interdisciplinary research center are preferred.

Minimum Qualifications:

An earned Ph.D. from an accredited institution in an area appropriate to the RISES center at the time of appointment. The selected candidate must also have a record of high impact research related to energy systems, demonstrated by a strong scholarly and/or funding record.

To be eligible for appointment as a tenured associate professor upon hire, the selected candidate must have a demonstrated record teaching, research, and service commensurate with a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of associate professor in the tenure department.

Preferred Qualifications:

Past work experiences in national lab and/or industry are desired.

A history of working with teams, especially teams that span multiple disciplines, is a strongly preferred qualification.

Prior work experience with energy storage systems is highly preferred.

Interests and experiences in interdisciplinary, human-centric, and community-based research on resilience are highly desired.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/ . 

UCF has a diverse student body and community, and we are committed to meeting the needs of this community. Please tell us about your approach and experience, in the context of a faculty-student setting and as a colleague, meeting the needs of a diverse community.

In addition to the online application, interested candidates must attach the following materials to their application:

1) The above-mentioned diversity statement,

2) A cover letter:  In the cover letter candidates must address their background in research and scholarship in the areas noted in the job description and highlight their major research accomplishments and impact. Candidates must also address their background in RISES Center and identify the college(s)/department(s) for their potential tenure home and the joint appointments they would desire.

3) A current curriculum vitae,

4) A teaching statement,

5) A research statement, and

6) A list with contact information for three professional references,  including email addresses.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be attached at that time. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

Questions regarding this search may be directed to Dr. Zhihua Qu, Search Committee Chair, at qu@ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

Open until filled.

Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted as ‘Open until filled ’ may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.

Are Benefits Important to You?

Working at UCF has its perks!  In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, UCF offers:

• Benefit packages including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, healthcare flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Paid time off, including annual and sick leave and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options.
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando area attractions.
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment.

And more…For more benefits information, go to ‘Prospective Employees’ on the UCF Human Resources website (https://hr.ucf.edu/ )

Who Are We?

Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger , and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 220-degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete, online programs leading to bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, Ph.D.'s., certificates, and more.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of higher education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to employment in research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty positions (including employed visiting positions), graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, postdoctoral scholar positions, and undergraduate positions.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at  http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.