Department Head and Assistant Professor jobs in Chemical Engineering

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at Vanderbilt University invites applications for two open faculty positions: one at the Chair and Professor level, and the second at the Assistant Professor level. These two positions are part of the College of Engineering’s stated commitment to creating an interdisciplinary energy cluster aimed at addressing major societal and scientific challenges (https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2025/10/06/school-of-engineering-launches-global-search-for-10-new-faculty-members/). This recruitment focus reflects our dedication to fostering collaboration across disciplines within the College of Engineering. Our goal is to train the next generation of engineering leaders to uncover new insights and identify solutions to key challenges as outlined in our strategic plan: improving health for all people, ensuring a sustainable planet, enhancing national security, and innovating beyond Earth (https://indd.adobe.com/view/697a5c8d-09f9-4270-802d-890ea98422f0).

Department head and professor. This position seeks an accomplished visionary leader dedicated to overseeing a department committed to impactful research and innovative educational programs. A strong record in research, teaching, extension, and service is required. The next president is expected to guide ChBE through a period of historic growth and expansion for both ChBE and the Vanderbilt College of Engineering. This research is open to all fields; However, candidates with research interests applied to the areas of energy storage and conversion, catalysis and separation, electrochemical engineering, advanced materials, and manufacturing are of particular interest. Application materials including a cover letter, full CV, and a statement addressing the applicant’s leadership experience/philosophy and vision for the future of ChBE must be submitted to https://apply.interfolio.com/174359. Applicants for the tenure-track professor position will be eligible for the John R. Hall Chair in Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt.

assistant professor. The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at Vanderbilt University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position from candidates with experience in artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), basis models, multi-scale modeling, and optimization as applied to challenges in energy and advanced chemical processing. We particularly encourage applicants whose computational research addresses energy-critical materials, data-driven approaches to manufacturing, electrochemical engineering, and the integration of AI/ML with chemical engineering to accelerate the design, discovery, and deployment of next-generation materials and technologies. Application materials including a letter of application, complete CV, research and teaching data, and names and contact information for at least three professional references must be submitted to https://apply.interfolio.com/174347. Applicants must have conducted previous research work and have a record of influential scientific publications. Experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer simulation is preferred.

Review of applications for both positions will begin upon receipt, with applications received by November 15, 2025 subject to priority review. All applications received by December 1, 2025 will receive full consideration. Questions about either position can be sent to Professor Paul Leibnis, Head of ChBE, via email to paul.e.laibinis@vanderbilt.edu.

requirements. All candidates must have a doctoral degree. degree in chemical engineering or a closely related engineering or scientific discipline with research and teaching objectives strongly aligned with the fields of chemical engineering and biomolecular engineering.

Vanderbilt University. Housed in the College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt (http://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/chbe/) includes 14 core faculty members (11 tenure-track/tenure-track members, 3 of whom are PECASE awardees and 6 NSF CAREER recipients) serving more than 130 undergraduate students and more than 50 graduate students. The department maintains a vibrant research environment with annual research expenditures in excess of $11 million and has steadily climbed the USNWR graduate rankings. Our department is consistently ranked as one of the top five chemical engineering departments in the United States with fifteen or fewer faculty members.

Our department is located within walking distance of other engineering and science departments at Vanderbilt and adjacent to the Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE), the nucleus of nanomaterials research at Vanderbilt. It is one of many interdisciplinary centers and institutes on campus (https://research.vanderbilt.edu/centers-institutes/) which provides comprehensive and advanced basic facilities and means for participation across departments. ChBE also maintains a close affiliation with Vanderbilt School of Medicine (VUSM), which is previously ranked fifth US News and World Report Annual ranking of the best medical schools for research, located on the same campus. The highly collaborative environment at Vanderbilt is additionally supported by three new interdisciplinary centers within the College of Engineering: the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Climate, and Energy (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/climate/), Vanderbilt AI Immersive Translation Lab (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/valiant/), and the Vanderbilt Institute for National Security (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/national-security/).

Vanderbilt University, ranked No. 17 nationally, is an internationally recognized private research university located on 330 park-like acres 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Its 11 distinguished schools share one cohesive campus that values ​​collaboration. The university has more than 13,500 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, including more than 25% minority students and more than 10% international students from 84 countries. Together, the College of Engineering and College of Connected Computing include approximately 120 tenure-track and tenure-track faculty, a total research expenditure of $90 million, 1,500 undergraduate students, and more than 700 graduate and professional students across all programs.

Nashville is the capital of Tennessee, with a population of more than two million people. It is an international destination for the arts, entrepreneurship and scientific research, thus attracting world-renowned scholars to Vanderbilt and the broader community. Nashville has previously been named one of America’s 15 Best Cities for Work and Family luck The magazine has ranked the most popular US city for corporate relocations before Expansion management magazine, and was ranked as the top performing city in 2024 for sustainable growth and resilience by the Milken Institute. Nashville’s top industries in terms of employment include commerce, transportation, and public utilities; Educational and health services; Professional and business services; government; Entertainment and hospitality. Other industries include manufacturing, financial activities, construction and information. Long known as a healthcare and music hub, the greater Nashville area is a technology hub with a wide range of jobs available in healthcare, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and defense-related jobs. The city has seen an influx of head office openings by some of the world’s largest technology companies and leading Silicon Valley startups attracted by its quality of life. Nashville has more than 100 free-standing parks and is just a short drive from the Great Smoky Mountains, offering many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. In addition to nearby greenways, scenic hiking trails, and a historic riverfront, Vanderbilt’s park-like campus is a certified arboretum that houses more than 200 different species.