Experimental Behavior Analysis Jobs in California

Position Rank and Title: Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (Two positions: one open-rank, one Assistant Professor)

School/Department Name: Psychology, specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: Assistant Professor: $88,000- $92,000; Associate Professor, $93,000-$115,000, Professor, $116,000-$130,000. Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.  See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU's excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August, 2027

Application Deadline: October 1, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Psychology at San Jose State University is pleased to offer two tenure-track faculty positions in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). These hires will support a new, practice-focused Masters program in Applied Behavior Analysis and contribute to the Psychology Department broadly through research, undergraduate teaching, and service. One position is an open-rank (Assistant/Associate/Full Professor) search for an individual who will direct the new MS program. The other position is for an Assistant Professor who will serve as a core faculty member in the new ABA program. 

For both positions, the area of specialization within behavior analysis is open. Required qualifications for the position include a Ph.D. in behavior analysis or related field, credentialing as a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), capacity for leadership in a masters program in ABA, demonstrated scholarly productivity in behavior analysis, and awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a multicultural population. Desired qualifications include prior leadership experience in a graduate program that prepares students for professional practice and credentialing as BCBAs.

The vision of the Psychology Department is to provide high-quality education in psychology that fosters the development of students so that they will make contributions to society. We value a student-centered approach that emphasizes teaching, research, and applied training. The Department offers a BA in Psychology, MA in Research and Experimental Psychology, MS in Clinical Psychology, and MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. The MS Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program seeks to train students to provide evidence-based, culturally responsive, neurodiversity-affirming care in community, school, and clinic settings. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU is currently ranked as the #5 Best Public University in the nation by the Wall Street Journal and has been named the #1 Most Transformative University in the nation by Money Magazine for several years in a row.

The Psychology department is part of the College of Social Sciences, which is committed to equitable and inclusive teaching and learning. The College sees faculty and student success as inextricably linked, and strives to provide culturally-sustaining, and academically-affirming approaches to supporting and engaging students and faculty. We provide opportunities for faculty development around asset-based, holistic student success, and support scholarship of engagement that addresses issues that affect our campus and community. In all of our endeavors, we strive to build leadership capacity and foster a culture of support and belonging for faculty, staff, and students.

The Department of Psychology and San Jose State University institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include an Institutional Excellence Statement (or incorporate it into your cover letter) as we are interested in hearing about the lived and professional experiences you will contribute to our campus community, particularly as it relates to the work you will do with our students. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines for Applicants to Faculty Positions.

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Special Education or a related discipline, with certification as a Doctoral-Level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) or demonstrated plans to receive this certification within one year of the position start date
• Demonstrated scholarly productivity and an established research agenda in behavior analysis
• Commitment to, and demonstrated potential for, teaching excellence within the department's MS ABA graduate program and BA Psychology program
• Ability to assume a leadership role in the Psychology Department's new practice-focused MS ABA program, including duties related to curriculum development, program planning, accreditation, and student recruitment, enrollment and mentorship
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience as faculty in a graduate program that prepared students for credentialing and professional practice as Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
• Demonstrated ability to form and sustain effective collaborative relationships with local service providers to support student practicum experiences in behavior analysis
• Potential to secure external funding to support research and/or enhance student instruction
• Ability to work effectively in a collegial atmosphere of shared governance

Key Responsibilities:

• Teaching responsibilities for this position will include undergraduate courses and graduate coursework in psychology and applied behavior analysis, as needed. Undergraduate courses may include writing in psychology, research methods, human learning, applied behavior analysis, and others. Graduate course responsibility can include teaching a range of courses in a course sequence aligned with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board's 5th edition task list.
• The candidate will be expected to develop a program of research in applied behavior analysis and encouraged to pursue both internal and external funding. The candidate must maintain a productive research program, which may consist of collaborative research across the University, with other academic institutions, or other external agencies. Student mentoring is valued in our department, and a successful candidate will mentor and support undergraduate and graduate students of diverse backgrounds in conducting research.
• The successful applicant should be prepared to take an active role in the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program, which includes serving as a mentor and advisor to graduate students, instructor in graduate courses, and member of the MS ABA Program Committee.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all of their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity - in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation - through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advising.

Other Duties

Note that all San Jose State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure
Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Letter of interest (~ 1000 words). Applicants may specify in their letter whether they wish to be considered for the open-rank Director position, the Assistant Professor position, or both.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Inclusive excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• Statement of teaching interests/philosophy that describes the role faculty play in student success (~ 1000 words)
• Statement of research plans (~ 1000 words)
• Name, contact information, and professional relationship for three references. Reference letters may be requested at a later stage of the search.

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair, Dr. Evan Palmer (evan.palmer@sjsu.edu) or to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Matthew Capriotti (matthew.capriotti@sjsu.edu).

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Please include Job Opening ID (JOID) on all correspondence.

San Jose State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley - one of the most innovative regions in the world - San Jose State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San Jose State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San Jose State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San Jose State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San Jose State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon...