Chemistry Department, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry (https://www.chem.upenn.edu/) at the University of Pennsylvania (https://www.upenn.edu/) (Penn) invites applications for a tenure-track position in the broadly defined area of energy research. This field encompasses the traditional areas of Chemistry with an emphasis on fundamental and applied topics that relate to energy conversion, energy utilization, energy-related materials, and sustainability. We are particularly interested in candidates who develop and/or utilize advanced experimental methodologies to address pressing challenges in energy science .

Penn Chemistry, a department in the School of Arts & Sciences (https://www.sas.upenn.edu/) (SAS), is collaborative and interactive. The traditional sub-fields of physical, biological, inorganic, and organic chemistry serve as a framework from which experimental and theoretical research emerge. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration are supported across the campus, as chemistry faculty actively collaborate with others in SAS as well with researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Perelman School of Medicine, all part of our contiguous green urban campus (https://facilities.upenn.edu/services/landscape) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Chemistry research at Penn greatly benefits from a dynamic energy research environment, led by the Vagelos Institute for Energy Sciences and Technology (https://web.sas.upenn.edu/viest-institute/) , a collaboration between SAS and SEAS, as well as through close interactions with our energy-relevant dual-degree program, the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research ( VIPER (https://www.viper.upenn.edu/) ) and with our NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (https://www.lrsm.upenn.edu/) . We promote and encourage curiosity, intellectual engagement, and discovery among all our students and faculty (https://www.chem.upenn.edu/community-0) .

Qualifications include:

• Broad training in areas of chemistry relevant to energy, environment, and/or sustainability

• Strong research potential

• Capacity for teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and mentoring and supporting a diverse student body

• The ability to direct graduate/undergraduate research

• Candidates are expected to have completed a PhD and postdoctoral experience by the time of appointment, which is July 1, 2027

• The successful candidate will be expected to establish an externally funded research program

Application instructions/Required documents:

• Please provide the following application materials:

o A curriculum vitae, including a list of publications

o A brief research summary

o A description of proposed research

o One statement describing your past and planned teaching and mentoring, including the general area(s) of chemistry (e.g. organic, biological, inorganic, and/or physical chemistry) that you would feel comfortable teaching.

o Contact information for three recommenders.

Review of applications will begin November 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Please contact [email protected] with questions regarding the application process.

Application Process

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Statement

The University of Pennsylvania seeks talented students, faculty and staff with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other class protected under applicable federal, state or local law in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs; Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street, Suite 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106; or (215) 898-6993 (Voice).

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.