Assistant Professor - Molecular Materials and Machines

values. Our department is home to award-winning faculty and is one of NC State’s top producers of patent and invention disclosures. More information about the department can be found at https://chemistry.sciences.ncsu.edu/ . While working in this department, you will be expected to foster a supportive and welcoming environment.

NC State promotes an integrated approach to problem solving that transforms lives and provides leadership for social, economic, and technological development across North Carolina and around the world. NC State’s land grant mission of teaching, research and service is dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. Applicants are encouraged to review the institution’s mission, vision and strategic plan, and consider how their background, interest and experience would enable them to support the university.

Wolfpack Perks and Benefits

As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.

What we offer:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Programs
• Disability Plans
• Life Insurance
• Accident Plan
• Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
• 12 Holidays Each Year
• Tuition and Academic Assistance
• And so much more!

Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.

Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

Essential Job Duties

The Department of Chemistry at North Carolina State University invites applications for a 9-month tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the broadly-defined areas of Molecular Materials and Machines.

We seek candidates researching the design principles by which (macro)molecules, supramolecular assemblies, and designed biomolecules become functional matter. Examples include, but are not limited to: molecular machines, switches, and mechanically interlocked architectures; de novo design of biomacromolecular materials and assemblies; framework, supramolecular, and discrete molecular materials with transport, switching, or device function; and adaptive, dynamic, and stimuli-responsive molecular matter. Experimental programs as well as those that integrate computation and theory will be considered. Programs that integrate or aim to build toward data-driven/AI-guided design and/or autonomous/closed-loop experimentation are particularly encouraged.

In this role, you will have access to extensive shared facilities, including the METRIC center for mass spectrometry, NMR/EPR, and X-ray crystallography; time-resolved spectroscopy (Imaging and Kinetics Spectroscopy Lab); bioanalytical instrumentation (BioCore); electron microscopy (Analytical Instrumentation Facility); nanofabrication (NNF); device characterization through the ORaCEL organic-electronics labs; campus high-performance computing; and the self-driving laboratories of the NC State-led $20M NSF SPEED autonomous-experimentation facility with expected availability in 2027.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a robust, externally funded research program.
• Lead an independent research program and engage in collaborative research at North Carolina State University and the Research Triangle.
• Teach organic- and physical-chemistry and related topics at the graduate and undergraduate level.
• Mentor graduate students and other scholars.

Other Responsibilities

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience

A PhD in Chemistry or a closely related field from an appropriately accredited institution is required by the start date.

Other Required Qualifications

N/A

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrable ability to carry out innovative and impactful research.
• Demonstrable expertise in the design of (bio)molecular materials and machines, or related topics.
• Demonstrable interest in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Demonstrable interest in mentoring and training graduate students.
• At least one year of post-doctoral experience.

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

N/A

Valid NC Driver's License required: No

Commercial Driver's License required: No

Job Open Date: 10/21/2026

Anticipated Close Date: 11/29/2026 [If the posting is still active after this date, applications are still being accepted and will be reviewed.]

Special Instructions to Applicants

Review of applications will begin immediately. Applicants should upload the following documents as part of their application:

1. Curriculum Vitae (including a full list of publications)
2. Cover Letter
3. Contact Information for References
4. Research Statement (maximum six pages) comprising a detailed plan for a research program.
5. Teaching Statement (2 pages) highlighting pedagogical approaches, student engagement, and mentoring.
6. An optional one-page executive summary outlining the need for any specialized equipment or infrastructure that your research program will need to be successful at NC State may be uploaded as Other Document (1).

Applications must be submitted electronically via the NCSU employment portal.

Position Number: 00112399

Position Type: Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week): 1.0

Appointment: 9 Month Recurring

Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather: Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather

Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events: Non Mandatory - Emergency Event

Department ID: 170701 - Chemistry

EEO

NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Organization

NC State: Think and Do

NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina and the country. We began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, we're a pre-eminent research enterprise with 12 colleges excelling in all major academic fields.

Our 34,000 high-performing students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world by conducting research, working in internships and co-ops, and performing acts of world-changing service. That experiential education ensures that they leave here ready to lead the workforce. NC State's 13:1 student-faculty ratio is one of the reasons why we're the best college for your money in North Carolina (Money) and the No. 5 best value among public universities nationally (U.S. News & World Report).

Overcoming Challenges, Improving Lives

NC State is one of only two universities in the nation leading two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers — one developing wearable, self-powered health monitors, and the other researching smart-grid technology. We’re also leading interdisciplinary efforts to curb nuclear proliferation, help farmers confront climate change and build a new American manufacturing sector.

Our research doesn't just get published in a journal or sit on a shelf; it makes an impact. NC State is No. 6 nationwide in commercialization agreements based on university research, and we're No. 2 among universities without a medical school. Our Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based information to citizens in all 100 North Carolina counties. In addition, our industrial extension unit — Industry Expansion Solutions — has created an economic benefit for the state's manufacturers averaging $149 million per year since 2005.

Bright Minds Creating a Bold Future

NC State’s 9,000 faculty and staff are world leaders in their fields, bridging the divides between academic disciplines and training high-caliber students to meet tomorrow’s challenges. NC State students won two Goldwater scholarships, five Fulbright scholarships, one Churchill scholarship and a record-breaking 25 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships in the 2016-2017 academic year. In addition, 25 faculty are members of the National Academies.

Our Centennial Campus, an award-winning public-private research campus, is home to more than 70 partner organizations working alongside more than 70 NC State research and academic units. Centennial is also the location of the innovative Hunt Library, which Time magazine has dubbed “the library of the future.”

In Raleigh and Around the World

It all happens in one of the best cities in America. A top spot for job-seekers and tech professionals, Raleigh is nationally recognized as a leading urban center:

• No. 2 hot spot for tech jobs (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 3 best city for young professionals (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 4 best city for jobs (Glassdoor.com, 2017)
• No. 4 best place to live (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)
• Best big city in the Southeast (Time, 2016)
• Selected as a Google Fiber expansion city

With Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a national hotspot for high-tech enterprise. The top companies in the region — including IBM, Cisco Systems, SAS Institute, Biogen Idec and GlaxoSmithKline — are among the country’s best employers. They also lead the way in hiring new NC State graduates.

More than 130 years after its creation, NC State continues to make its founding purpose a reality. Every day, our career-ready graduates and world-leading faculty make the fruits of learning and discovery available to people across the state, throughout the nation and around the world.