Career Center

Assistant/Associate Professors

Department of Physics

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA

The Physics Department of the Naval Postgraduate School invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant/Associate Professor levels. Exceptional candidates may be considered for appointment at a more senior level.  A PhD is required, and degrees in physics or applied physics are preferred for breadth of teaching within the department.  Responsibilities include teaching graduate-level and refresher courses in applied physics and related fields; supervising Masters and PhD student theses; and other departmental service activities.  Applicants will be expected to develop an externally funded research program on research topics relevant to the U.S. Navy and DoD (broadly defined), and must have a strong commitment to graduate teaching.  Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in one of the following areas:

• Conventional weapons, particularly candidates who can leverage existing facilities that include a railgun launcher and a 16 MJ pulsed power network, gas and propellant guns, and high strain-rate test equipment.
• Nuclear weapons effects/forensics and nuclear power. Preference will be given to candidates who can advance the department’s long-standing interaction with Lawrence Livermore and other national labs.
• Materials science working in emerging energy storage/energy harvesting technologies.
• Applied optics and high-speed /high-energy lasers.
• Quantum sensing/information technologies.

Strong candidates with expertise in other areas of relevance to the DoD will also be considered.

The Naval Postgraduate School, located on the beautiful Monterey, CA peninsula, grants advanced degrees to the U.S. Armed Forces, DoD civilians, and international partners. The typical NPS applied physics student is a mid-career military officer or warfare center employee who requires a technical graduate degree for his/her career trajectory. The Physics Department is part of the Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and has a long history of excellence in the areas of conventional and nuclear weapons, sensors and materials, and acoustics.  The department is comprised of approximately 14 tenure-track professors, 8 research professors, and two senior lecturers.  The Physics Department supports various curricula at the Naval Postgraduate School including Applied Physics of Combat Systems, Undersea Warfare, Space Systems, and Energy. 

Minimum qualifications:

• Requires an earned doctoral degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics or closely related engineering field;
• Must be able to support a breadth of the department’s instructional needs;
• Excellent teaching ability or aptitude;
• A sustained publication record;
• Evidence of potential to advise student theses and dissertations based on comparable experience or aptitude;
• Must be eligible for or currently hold a Secret clearance;
• U.S. citizenship required.

A letter of application including CV, statements of teaching and research interests, and the names and addresses of three or more references should be sent to:

Human Resources Office

ATTN:  Department of Physics

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA  93943

Email:   NPS-Faculty_Applications_1095980@nps.edu

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applicants with foreign education will be required to select from a list of private organizations that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES), which provide foreign education evaluations acceptable to NPS. 

Relocation package, including recruitment/relocation incentive may be authorized. Situational telework from within the local area may be authorized.

Applications will be accepted until 7 November 2022.

Application review will begin 7 November 2022 and all new applications will be reviewed every 2 weeks until the position is filled or the announcement closes.

NOTE:  IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, you are strongly encouraged to:  Identify your Veterans’ Preference on your resume or elsewhere in your application package (type of preference, dates of service, date of VA letter, character of service, etc…)

Additional Veterans’ information:  If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor’s website: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm. 

For more veterans’ preference information, visit: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

About Naval Postgraduate School

The mission of the Naval Postgraduate School is to provide relevant and unique advanced education and research programs to increase the combat effectiveness of commissioned officers of the Naval Service to enhance the security of the United States. In support of the foregoing, and to sustain academic excellence, NPS and the DON foster and encourage a program of relevant and meritorious research which both supports the needs of Navy and Department of Defense while building the intellectual capital of Naval Postgraduate School faculty.

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