Entry Level Material Science Engineering Jobs in Wisconsin

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison invites applications for an open-rank faculty position in the field of innovative, application-driven materials design aimed at addressing society's grand challenges. We primarily seek candidates with a strong experimental research program but applicants with both computational and experimental focuses will be considered.

We seek visionary scholars who will shape the future of materials research by leveraging cutting-edge approaches to design, discovery, and application. While the specific research area is open, we are especially interested in candidates whose work is both synergistic with our departmental expertise and can broaden our impact into new areas. We welcome outstanding applicants from academia, industry, and national laboratories.

The MS&E department at UW-Madison is a vibrant and collaborative community of 23 primary faculty, 42 affiliate faculty, and a dedicated team of instructional and support staff. Our research enterprise is internationally recognized for driving advances in sustainability, extreme environment materials, autonomous research, additive manufacturing, energy production and storage, and information and quantum technologies. These efforts are propelled by innovative strategies in synthesis, processing, characterization, and discovery-empowered by AI, data science, and advanced computation. Faculty and students benefit from access to UW's state-of-the-art facilities for materials synthesis, characterization, and high-performance computation.

Candidate will teach and develop undergraduate courses; supervise graduate student research; develop and direct a strong funded research program; participate in departmental and university faculty governance and contribute to professional and public service.

• College of Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering

• Negotiable - 9 months / ongoing / renewable

• Candidates will have a demonstrated record of academic achievement at a level commensurate with their career stage, exceptional potential for establishing a world-class research program, and a commitment to high-quality and inclusive undergraduate and graduate teaching, learning, and mentoring. Assistant Professor candidates must have a PhD in a relevant field. Associate and Full Professor candidates must possess experience and scholarly credentials that meet the tenure standards of the UW-Madison Divisional Committee and the College of Engineering.

• PhD in Materials Science & Engineering or related field by start date and at least 2 years of relevant research experience.

• The application should include: 1) a cover letter, 2) a detailed curriculum vitae (CV) with full publication list, 3) a research statement of not more than five pages, and 4) a teaching statement of not more than two pages. The application should describe how the applicant's research and teaching goals fit the solicitation above.

  Please request three reference letters to be submitted directly by the referees to facultysearch@mse.wisc.edu.

• The deadline for assuring full consideration is January 15, 2026, however, the position will remain open and applications may be considered until the position is filled.

Deadline:

• For full consideration, all materials must be received no later than 11:59pm on January 15, 2026. Applications may be accepted until position is filled.

Cheryl Harris

Department of Materials Science Engineering

cjharris5@wisc.edu

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodationfor any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying to.Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.