Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Physics

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy

School/Department Name: Department of Physics and Astronomy

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $105,000- $108,000

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 17, 2027

Application Deadline: November 22nd, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in quantum information science beginning in August 2027. Applicants must demonstrate the potential for developing an active research program, seeking external funding, and engaging in meaningful mentorship and engagement of undergraduate and masters students in their research. Applicants should also be committed to teaching lower division, upper division and graduate classes in physics and quantum information science.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is a team of dedicated teacher-scholars recognized for our commitment to excellent teaching, to engaging students in research projects, and to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in physics and in STEM disciplines more broadly. Our department grants bachelor’s degrees in physics, bachelor’s degrees in physics for teacher preparation, masters degrees in physics, and master's degrees in Quantum Technology (MSQT). Learn more about us at our website: https://www.sjsu.edu/physics/

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and San José State University value 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. We strive to provide an equitable, professional environment where we respectfully engage each other with empathy and compassion. 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 a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in physics or a related field.
• Candidates should demonstrate quantum information science (QIS) research experience that complements existing departmental experimental and theoretical expertise.
• Candidates should be familiar with a variety of contemporary, research-based teaching practices and be committed to teaching lower-division, upper-division, and graduate classes in physics and quantum information science.
• Candidates 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

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Post-doctoral experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated success in writing grants for external funding, or demonstrated skills and preparation relevant to writing successful grant applications
• Demonstrate the potential for meaningful engagement of undergraduate and masters students in their proposed research.
• Documentation of excellent teaching at the university level.
• We highly value experience with and commitment to service in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion in physics and/or STEM in general. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who have a record of such activities, whether or not this service was formally required by previous positions.
• Applicants should demonstrate that they are prepared for and enthusiastic about teaching a breadth of classes, which can include: upper-division labs, quantum mechanics, quantum information, quantum algorithms, statistical mechanics, and mathematical methods in physics.

Key Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will teach courses at the BS/BA and MS level, including upper division and graduate courses related to quantum information science.
• The candidate will be expected to engage undergraduate and graduate students in physics research, and to develop an externally funded research program that provides support and mentorship for these students.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually on department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all 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, gender expression, and academic preparation—through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José 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 (2 pages maximum)
• curriculum vitae
• institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest) (2 pages maximum)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy (3 pages maximum)
• research plans (3 pages maximum)
• contact information for 3 references

And arrange for three reference letters to be submitted by the application deadline. AI-generated applications will not be considered.

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair: Peter Beyersdorf (peter.beyersdorf@sjsu.edu)

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

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 background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José 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 José 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 José 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 José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.