Ancient Mesopotamia Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position overview
Position title: Assistant Professor
Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $84,100 - $132,900 (9-month academic year salary); however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions.
Anticipated start: 7/1/2027
Application Window
Open date: August 19, 2026
Next review date: Monday, Oct 19, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Monday, Oct 19, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.
Position description
The Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant Professor in Cuneiform Cultures, tenure track.
Applications are welcome from scholars who investigate the Cuneiform writing traditions of the Ancient Middle East and are leaders in interdisciplinary conversations on and about the ancient world that are taking place across the humanities and social sciences.
The successful applicant will join the MELC faculty who are dedicated to the study of the languages, literature, and material culture of the Middle East, from antiquity to today. Instructional responsibilities include teaching four courses per year at the graduate and undergraduate levels, including instruction in all levels of Akkadian. They will also be expected to collaborate in overseeing the Cuneiform Studies program, contribute to teaching the department's introductory survey courses, mentor undergraduate students and supervise graduate students, and contribute to the department's diverse and inclusive community through their research, teaching, and service. The appointee will have the opportunity to connect with campus units such as the Graduate Group in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology, the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and the Center for Middle East Studies.
The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: ( New Senate Faculty | Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare )
Department: https://melc.berkeley.edu/
Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application or current assistant professor.

Preferred qualifications

• Advanced training and competence in cuneiform languages with the proven ability to conduct research using primary sources.
• Literacy and proficiency in Akkadian cuneiform sufficient to contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching of primary sources at all levels of instruction.
• Ability to teach introductory undergraduate courses on ancient Mesopotamia and adjacent culture areas.
• Familiarity with relevant languages and scripts from the broader Ancient Middle East and Mediterranean.
• Ability to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum design, classroom environment, and pedagogy.
• Potential to develop new courses as well as contribute to the Department of Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures' teaching needs.
• Interdisciplinary engagement with scholarship in one or more additional fields in the humanities and social sciences
• Advanced training and competence in additional Ancient Middle Eastern languages such as Aramaic, Greek, Eblaite, Elamite, Hittite, and Sumerian, with the proven ability to conduct research and teaching using primary sources.

Application Requirements
Document requirements
Additional writing samples will be requested for longlisted candidates.

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
  The CV should include a list of current a forthcoming publications.
• Cover Letter - The Cover Letter should discuss:
  1) Research accomplishments and proposed plans.
  2) Please discuss prior teaching experience and teaching approach. This can include, for example, specific efforts and accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy.
  3) Mentoring experiences and approach.
  4) Specific prior and proposed academic, professional and/or public service activities.
• Writing Sample - -1 sample for all candidates.
  One representative piece of writing, such as an article, book chapter, or dissertation chapter.
• Authorization to Release Information Form - An institutional reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form .

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

References will only be contacted for those candidates under serious consideration and we will seek your permission before doing so.
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05496
Help contact: e_anaya26@berkeley.edu
About UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy ( APM 210 1-d ). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community , which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.
The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy .
In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website .
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Job location
Berkeley, CA