Assistant Research Scholar Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CIE) at the University of Maine (UMaine) invites applications for a non-tenure-track Assistant Research Professor position. This is a unique research and teaching position with an initial two-year, fixed-length, academic-year appointment, anticipated to start January 1, 2027. The successful candidate will play a central role in the Accelerated Soil Stabilization (AS2) project, with a primary focus on the application of accelerated mineral carbonation to soil stabilization, while also contributing to undergraduate and graduate instruction in geotechnical engineering. Typical hiring salary for this position is $80,000 - $90,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.

In consultation with the Principal Investigator, the successful candidate will lead research activities associated with the AS2 project and supervise and coordinate the research activities of graduate and undergraduate students. The candidate will develop, evaluate, and document laboratory- and field-scale testing, demonstration, and implementation methodologies; analyze and interpret research data; and prepare scholarly and technical products, including peer-reviewed journal articles, technical reports, conference presentations, and presentation materials for project sponsors and other stakeholders. The position may include field testing and demonstrations at federal, military, or other secured facilities that require site-specific background screening, credentialing, and access authorization.

The successful candidate will teach two courses per academic year, normally consisting of one undergraduate course and one graduate course in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Teaching assignments will be based on departmental needs and the candidate's expertise, with an emphasis on geotechnical engineering. The candidate will also be encouraged to develop complementary research initiatives, pursue external funding, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students. UMaine is the state's primary graduate-degree-granting institution and Maine's designated Land Grant and Sea Grant university, with an R1 Carnegie Classification. Numerous colleges, interdisciplinary research centers, and institutes provide strong opportunities for collaborative research. These include the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (formerly Region I University Transportation Center), the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), the Climate Change Institute, the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, the Virtual Environment and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Laboratory, and Advanced Research Computing, Security, and Information Management (ARCSIM), which offers extensive high-performance computing and data resources.

Information about the CIE Department can be found at www.civil.umaine.edu. The successful candidate will join a dynamic engineering program dedicated to high-quality teaching, scholarship, and service - where faculty support work-life integration.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is part of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC), which is a statewide, integrated solution to bring together the natural synergies of all engineering disciplines with computing and provide the technical workforce and innovations that are critical to moving our economy forward. MCEC includes the College of Engineering and School of Computing and Information Science at UMaine, the Department of Engineering at the University of Southern Maine (USM), with other collaborators to include the Department of Computer Science at USM and computing programs at University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) and other campuses within the University of Maine System.
About the University:
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 
The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. 
UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Visit the Maine Office of Tourism to learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer.
Qualifications:
Required:

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering or a closely related field by the position start date.
• Demonstrated research experience relevant to geotechnical engineering, soil stabilization, geomaterials, mineral carbonation, cementitious materials, or related chemical and physical processes.
• Evidence of the ability to conduct and communicate high-quality research, including through peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or conference presentations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, students, project sponsors, and external partners.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain authorization to access federal government, military, and other secured research and demonstration sites, as required for the performance of assigned duties.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Research experience involving ground improvement, chemical stabilization, mineral carbonation, soil-binder interactions, geomaterials, or laboratory and field testing of stabilized soils.
• Experience developing or conducting laboratory-scale, pilot-scale, or field-scale research.
• Experience supervising or mentoring undergraduate or graduate researchers.
• Teaching experience or demonstrated potential to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in geotechnical engineering.
• Experience preparing research proposals or contributing to externally funded research.
• Record of peer-reviewed scholarly publication.

Other Information: 

To be considered for this position you will need to "Apply" and upload the documentation listed below:

1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae

Candidates selected to proceed to the final stages of the search process will be requested to provide a list of names and contact information for references.

Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
For full consideration, materials must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. EST on September 11, 2026.

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Aaron Gallant at aaron.gallant@maine.edu.
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.