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Engineering Professor Jobs in Rhode Island (NOW HIRING)

Engineering Professor information

See Rhode Island salary details

$10.8K

$159.1K

How much do engineering professor jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for engineering professor in Rhode Island is $157,573.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $157,700.00 and $157,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an engineering professor do?

An Engineering Professor is responsible for teaching engineering courses at a college or university level, conducting research in their specialized field, and mentoring students. They design and deliver lectures, create course materials, and assess student performance. Additionally, Engineering Professors often work on research projects, publish scholarly articles, and may collaborate with industry partners. Their role also includes staying updated with advancements in engineering and contributing to the academic community through service and outreach.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as an engineering professor?

To thrive as an Engineering Professor, you need an advanced degree (usually a PhD) in engineering or a related field, strong research background, and teaching experience. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, learning management systems (LMS), and research software such as MATLAB or AutoCAD is typically required. Excellent communication, mentorship, and organizational skills help foster student learning and collaboration. These qualifications and abilities are essential to deliver effective education, advance research, and contribute to the academic community.

What opportunities exist for professional development and research collaboration as an engineering professor?

Engineering Professors often have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities, including attending and presenting at academic conferences, applying for research grants, and collaborating with industry partners. Many universities encourage interdisciplinary projects, so professors regularly collaborate with colleagues from other departments and external organizations. These collaborative efforts not only enhance research impact but also provide avenues for career advancement, such as leading research centers or taking on administrative roles. Staying connected with professional societies and engaging in continuous learning are also integral parts of the role.

What is the difference between Engineering Professor vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectEngineering ProfessorMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsDoctorate (Ph.D.) in Engineering or related fieldBachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering
Work EnvironmentUniversities, research institutions, academic settingsManufacturing, design firms, R&D departments
Employer & Industry UsageHigher education institutions, research organizationsEngineering firms, industrial companies, government agencies
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding academic vs industry roles in engineeringCareer paths, job responsibilities, qualifications

Engineering Professors primarily work in academia, focusing on teaching and research, often requiring a Ph.D. and a background in engineering. Mechanical Engineers work in industry, applying engineering principles to design, develop, and manufacture products, typically holding a bachelor's or master's degree. The roles differ in work environment, responsibilities, and career focus, with professors emphasizing education and research, while mechanical engineers focus on practical application and product development.

What are popular job titles related to Engineering Professor jobs in RI?

For Engineering Professor jobs in RI, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Engineering Professor job openings in Rhode Island as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $157,573 per year, or $75.8 per hour.

Professor of the Practice in Design Engineering

Providence, RI • On-site

Brown University
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools • 5 - 10K employees

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago


Brown University rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 27 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Description
The School of Engineering at Brown University invites applications for a full-time faculty non-tenure track onsite position at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of the Practice, with an expected start date of July 1, 2027. We seek a visionary educator and scholar in design engineering and in engineering practice more broadly, preference for those whose work advances sustainability. The successful candidate will build a research and teaching program that treats environmental constraint as a condition of engineering design rather than an addendum to it, and will help shape how the School prepares engineers for a profession whose material consequences are now inescapable.
Areas of Interest
The School invites applications from candidates working in two connected domains. In manufacturing and product development, areas of interest include design for manufacture, computer-aided design and simulation, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing techniques, and the design of products and systems under ecological constraint. Candidates with experience or plans to activate sustainability in engineering such as life-cycle analysis and design for circularity, low-carbon and bio-derived materials processing, remanufacturing and repairability, industrial-ecology approaches to embodied emissions, are preferred but not required.
In engineering education, areas of interest include curricular and pedagogical research on the teaching and learning, the preparation of engineers to reason about the social and ecological consequences of design decisions, assessment of design pedagogy, development of project-based industry-engaged courses and other learning opportunities, or the study of how engineering education might itself be restructured around sustainability commitments.
Candidates may work primarily in either domain or across both.
About the Environment
Brown University's School of Engineering provides a unique environment, emphasizing the power of interdisciplinary thought with a focus on expanding connections across engineering disciplines and beyond traditional departmental and school boundaries. The successful candidate will become affiliated with one or more of the interdisciplinary groups within the School of Engineering and contribute to teaching efforts and research across the school.
Brown University's SoE seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce to maintain the excellence of the University and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, viewpoints, and ways of knowing and learning.
Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026 and will continue until the positions are filled.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person's race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities. The University recognizes and rewards individuals on the basis of qualifications and performance. The University maintains certain affirmative action programs in compliance with applicable law.
Inquiries about the position should be directed to soefa@brown.edu.
Qualifications
Education: A Ph.D. or equivalent in Engineering, Engineering Education, Design, or a closely related discipline is required by the time of appointment.
Scholarship: An independent program of scholarship, with a record of contributions appropriate to the applicant's career stage and, where relevant, potential for securing external support commensurate with the rank sought.
Teaching & Mentorship:A commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching, preparation to teach across the School's curriculum, and a dedication to mentoring a diverse student body within the classroom, laboratory and studio.
The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the School's curriculum, advise undergraduate and master's students, contribute to the joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering with the Rhode Island School of Design (MADE), serve on School and University committees, and contribute to curricular and programmatic leadership. Opportunities for collaboration exist with the School's research clusters, Initiative for Sustainable Energy, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES), and other University-wide initiatives.
Application Instructions
Candidates should submit the following materials via Interfolio:
  1. Cover Letter summarizing your qualifications. Please indicate your primary discipline and your areas of expertise and experience in your cover letter.
  2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) including scholarly contributions broadly defined, such as peer-reviewed publications, public scholarship, design work, curricular materials, patents, open-source tools, industry partnerships, and community-engaged projects as these are appropriate to the applicant's field and career stage.
  3. Research Statementoutlining past achievements and future directions.
  4. Teaching Statement describing pedagogical philosophy, student mentorship, and experience including any project-based learning or similar approaches. Candidates should address how they would contribute to the teaching mission of our diverse and inclusive university community.
  5. References Candidates should provide the names of three references; these individuals will not be contacted unless the candidate is chosen to move forward in the selection process. Letters of support should speak to the candidate's potential as a scholar, colleague, mentor, and teacher.

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