Assistant Professor of Civil and Infrastructure Systems Engineering

Job Title
Assistant Professor of Civil and Infrastructure Systems Engineering

Requisition Number
FE05031

Working Title

Department Name
8H300:Civil Engineering

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Type of Position
Faculty

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Tenure Track Status
Tenure Track

Required Education

Applicants must possess a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Research, or a closely related field by the start date of the appointment

Required Related Experience

Candidates must demonstrate deep technical proficiency in fields such as network optimization, machine learning, control theory, or stochastic modeling. Crucially, the ideal candidate must have a proven track record of viewing civil infrastructure through a holistic, interconnected “system of systems” perspective, showing a clear capacity to bridge the gap between traditional engineering disciplines and modern systems-level complexities.

Required License/Registration/Certification

State law requires faculty members teaching engineering design to become licensed as Professional Engineers in Kentucky within four years of being employed.

Job Summary

Position Overview
The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible, 9-month appointment (Regular Title Series) faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor with an anticipated start date of Fall 2027. We seek an innovative and collaborative candidate who applies systems engineering, operations research, and advanced computational modeling to the design, management, and protection of complex, non-transportation interdependent civil infrastructure networks. We seek candidates with particular interests in water distribution systems and networks.

Core Responsibilities
The faculty member will be expected to establish and sustain a vibrant, externally funded research program focused on systems-level analysis, modeling, and protection of critical infrastructure assets. Educational duties include developing and delivering high-quality undergraduate and graduate courses in civil systems engineering (including fluid mechanics, water resources engineering, water distribution network analysis), risk and reliability analysis, and/or network optimization, alongside mentoring Ph.D. and Master’s students in computational infrastructure research. Additionally, the candidate will engage in professional service by participating in departmental committees and actively collaborating with ASCE/EWRI and prominent international systems engineering societies such as INCOSE, INFORMS, iEMSs, and IEEE. Additional collaborative opportunities exist with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. The initial Distribution of Effort (DOE) expectations are 50% research, 45% instruction, 3% service and 2% professional development.

Targeted Research Areas
We welcome candidates with demonstrated technical expertise in modeling, optimizing, or securing critical non-transportation systems. In the domain of water and wastewater networks, this includes advancing smart water grids, optimizing hydraulic distribution, modeling contaminant propagation, and analyzing the water-energy nexus. For smart power grids and energy systems, research should focus on integrating renewable energy into municipal grids, designing decentralized energy architectures, and strengthening microgrid resilience. Key areas of interest also encompass interdependent cyber-physical networks, specifically analyzing cascading failures across telecommunication, data, water, and power networks. Furthermore, the position emphasizes disaster resilience and adaptation, leveraging algorithmic decision-making for real-time infrastructure recovery and efficient resource allocation during extreme events.

Required Qualifications
Applicants must possess a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Research, or a closely related field by the start date of the appointment. Candidates must demonstrate deep technical proficiency in fields such as network optimization, machine learning, control theory, or stochastic modeling. Crucially, the ideal candidate must have a proven track record of viewing civil infrastructure through a holistic, interconnected “system of systems” perspective, showing a clear capacity to bridge the gap between traditional engineering disciplines and modern systems-level complexities. Note, State law requires faculty members teaching engineering design to become licensed as Professional Engineers in Kentucky within four years of being employed.

The city of Lexington is ranked #3 Best City to Raise a Family, #21 Best Places to Live in America, and #31 Most Educated City in America. The University of Kentucky is the flagship university for the Commonwealth and is one of only eight universities in the United States that house colleges of
agriculture, law, business, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy on a single campus.

Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration.

The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more.

To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.

To apply, please visit the UK Jobs site. Applicants should submit a cover letter, a full curriculum vitae, a research statement (3-page limit; upload as Specific Request 1), a teaching statement (2-page limit; upload as Specific Request 2), and contact information for 3 references.

The priority application deadline is October 30, 2026. Review of applications will begin shortly thereafter and will continue until the position is filled. The desired starting date for this position is August 1, 2027.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Deadline to Apply

Open Until Filled
Yes

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.