Tenure Track Engineering Faculty Positions, Space Engineering and Instrument Development Center

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UH Manoa) College of Engineering (COE) invites applications for a new tenure-track engineering faculty position in the area of high-speed electronics in conjunction with detectors/detector arrays and/or advanced embedded control systems for ground-based astronomy as part of a Ground-Based Astronomy and Instrumentation Engineering Support Center launched this year in collaboration with the Institute for Astronomy (IfA). The Center is part of a broader Space Science and Engineering initiative at UH Manoa that recognizes Hawai'i’s unique geography, cultural positioning, and leadership in the growing fields of ground-based astronomy, space flight, and exploration, and seeks to broaden the university’s capabilities in these fields.

Center faculty members will provide operational and research expertise to directly support ground-based observatory needs. Each faculty member will contribute to engineering research, teaching, and service relevant to the Center. This initial cohort will provide direct support of ground-based activities for observatory operations including—but not limited to—detectors, high-speed electronics, cryogenic and thermal management systems, optics, adaptive optics and photonics, prototyping, materials and manufacturing, instrumentation and control systems, and systems engineering. The cohort is the core of a multidisciplinary, multi-island engineering team, and as such, are general fund, full-time, tenure track positions. Given the role within a highly collaborative team environment and the expectation of a minimum 50% research assignment, this position is an 11-month position at the UH Manoa faculty rank of Assistant Professor (F3).  While this position is a UH Manoa position, it will be physically located in Hilo on the island of Hawai'i at the IfA facility, and is expected to begin August 1, 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

This significant, large-scale initiative places an emphasis on a collaborative approach to both research and education, focusing on hands-on-learning, teamwork, complementary technical expertise, and system-level multidisciplinary thinking. It will serve to expand Hawai'i’s local high-tech workforce by utilizing and leveraging existing observatory facilities on Mauna Kea and Haleakala as platforms for new instrumentation and technology development, facility innovation, and proving grounds for operational upgrades and advancement. The cohort will serve as a dedicated engineering team to develop technical proposals, write grant applications, and perform engineering design tasks both at UH Manoa facilities as well as the Center home on the UH Hilo campus.  Additionally, the faculty cohort will develop and deliver courses of importance in relevant disciplines to UH Manoa and/or UH Hilo. Center faculty will have access to well-equipped laboratories and machine shop facilities. Available computer facilities are extensive, including the Maui High-Performance Computing Center and state-of-the-art multimedia computer instructional laboratories.

Progress and achievement of each faculty member will be measured not only by their individual accomplishments, but by the individual’s contributions to the success of the overall team and of the Engineering Support Center, as well.