About the role
Position Function
The Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track positions at the rank of Assistant Professor in Climate Modeling, starting August 2027.
We are seeking dynamic, research-active scholars whose expertise aligns with one or more of the following high-priority areas:
- Physical Meteorology
- Satellite Meteorology
- Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)
- Atmospheric Data Analysis
- Operational Weather Analysis and Forecasting (strongly preferred)
Candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, mentoring, and research. The ideal applicant will have experience or clear potential to contribute to both undergraduate and graduate instruction, particularly in support of our thriving Professional Meteorology and Broadcast Meteorology programs.
Salary Grade: UC
Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.
Department Profile
Mississippi State University is a comprehensive land-grant institution with a Carnegie R1 "Very High Research Activity" designation. The Department of Geosciences is home to one of the largest undergraduate meteorology programs in the nation and supports robust research in weather forecasting, atmospheric science, GIS, and environmental geosciences.
Area of Specialization
Climate Modeling
Anticipated Appointment Date
August 16, 2027
Tenure Track Status
Tenure Track
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Research:
The successful candidate will establish an externally funded research program within the Department of Geosciences and will have opportunities to participate in ongoing NOAA-funded research conducted through the Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University.
The department is particularly interested in candidates whose research advances the observation, understanding, modeling, or prediction of climate and Earth-system processes. Examples include the development or application of regional or global climate models; Earth-system models; investigations of climate dynamics and variability; land-atmosphere interactions; atmospheric chemistry and aerosol-climate interactions; climate diagnostics and attribution; or integrated approaches that combine observations, including satellite observations, with modeling and quantitative analysis.
Available research infrastructure includes access to high-performance computing resources and institutional support for computationally intensive and data-rich geoscience research.
The successful candidate will be expected to develop a research program that complements departmental strengths while fostering collaborations across atmospheric science, hydrology, geography, geology, and related disciplines. Opportunities also exist for collaboration with NOAA-funded researchers and external partners addressing challenges related to climate variability, climate change, environmental hazards, and Earth-system prediction.
Teaching and Graduate Education:
The successful candidate will contribute to undergraduate and graduate education within the Department of Geosciences. Teaching responsibilities will include existing courses aligned with the candidate's expertise as well as the development of new courses that strengthen student understanding of climate science and Earth-system processes.
Potential instructional areas include physical climatology, climate dynamics, climate variability and change, climate modeling, Earth-system science, atmospheric chemistry, aerosol-climate interactions, climate diagnostics, and satellite applications in climate research.
A central goal of this position is to expand opportunities for students to develop expertise in modern approaches to climate research, including the use of observations, numerical models, and quantitative methods to investigate climate variability, climate change, and Earth-system processes.
The successful candidate will advise undergraduate and graduate students, mentor student research, and serve on master's and doctoral committees across appropriate areas of the Department of Geosciences.
Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Climate Science, Earth-System Science, Geosciences, Environmental Science, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
Candidates should demonstrate:
- Potential to establish a productive, externally funded research program;
- Expertise in physical climatology or a closely related area of climate science;
- Experience with or strong interest in climate dynamics, climate modeling, Earth-system modeling, atmospheric chemistry, aerosol-climate interactions, land-atmosphere interactions, climate diagnostics, satellite observations, or related methodologies;
- Potential to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary research teams in Geosciences;
- Potential for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring; and
- Ability to contribute to the Department of Geosciences through research, teaching, graduate education, and service.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with NOAA-funded research, regional or global climate modeling systems, Earth-system models, atmospheric chemistry or aerosol modeling, satellite observations, or high-performance computing is desirable but not required.
Instructions for Applying
Link to apply: http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/
Applicants should submit the following materials via the MSU employment portal:
- Cover letter addressing qualifications and interest in the position
- Curriculum vitae
- Statement of teaching philosophy
- Statement of research interests
- Names and contact information for three professional references
For questions about the position or the application process, please contact Mike Brown (Search Committee Chair) at meb18@msstate.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
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If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.