Description

Assistant Professor, Non-Tenure Stream, Petroleum Engineering Faculty Opening in the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Dept., University of Pittsburgh

The new Natural Gas, Renewables and Oil Engineering BS degree program (GRO) at the University of Pittsburgh (which will be housed administratively within the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering) invites applications for a non-tenure stream (i.e., Appointment Stream) faculty position at the assistant professor level with primary responsibilities related to teaching natural gas and oil-related courses. Candidates must have a PhD in Petroleum Engineering or a closely related field. The candidate must have at least one degree (BS, MS, or PhD) - but preferably more than one - in Petroleum Engineering or Natural Gas Engineering and an ability to teach a wide range of courses at the undergraduate level. Specific courses include Rock and Fluid Properties; Numerical Methods and Computer Applications; Drilling and Well Completions; Reservoir Engineering; Production, Injection, Artificial Lift and Handling Fluids; Geology, Engineering and Processing of Unconventional Gas; Greenhouse Gas Minimization in Production Facilities; Ethics and Safety; and the Senior Design Project. The expected start date is during the Summer of 2026, but no later than August 2026 when the GRO program begins.

A secondary responsibility of this position will be related to the education service. Specifically, the applicant will also be expected to assist in the development and operation of the new undergraduate natural gas and oil engineering experimental laboratories, and to ensure that the computational laboratories continue to house the petroleum engineering-related software tools used in the curriculum. The candidate will also be expected to provide leadership of the undergraduate seminar series, especially the half devoted to petroleum engineering topics (the other half will focus on renewables), and to assist in the ABET petroleum engineering accreditation process for the GRO program. Further, the applicant will be expected to provide leadership for an active SPE student chapter and to enhance interactions with local industry contacts in order to provide the GRO undergraduates with internship opportunities and full-time job placement. Finally, the candidate will closely coordinate educational activities with the faculty teaching the renewables content to ensure that all aspects of the GRO curriculum are covered.

Our department has internationally recognized programs in Energy and Sustainability, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, Materials, Multi-Scale Modeling, and Biomedical Engineering. One of our faculty members directs the annual International Pittsburgh Energy and Carbon Management Conference. Active collaborations exist with several adjacent centers, including the U.S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research Computing, the Center for Energy, the Petersen Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The department also has a strategic alliance with the Lubrizol Corporation, a leading specialty chemicals company, with a particular focus on decarbonization and process intensification. Furthermore, the University of Pittsburgh, jointly with Covestro LLC, just created the first graduate certificate program on circular economy in the United States.

To apply, please submit the following: (1) a cover letter, (2) a detailed CV, (3) a teaching plan and/or vision for the GRO program, (4) an education service plan and/or vision for the GRO program, and (5) the names of four references. Applications will only be accepted via submission through the Pitt HR website at: www.join.pitt.edu, using Position Number: 25006472. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by Friday, February 27, 2026.

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