Assistant Professor

About the Opportunity

About Northeastern:

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research (R1) university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Our locations—in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Portland, Maine; San Francisco and Oakland; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research.

Northeastern’s comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in ten colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

About the Opportunity:

The College of Science at Northeastern University invites applications for a position at the rank of Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology beginning in academic year 2026-2027 or 2027-2028. Candidates who are completing their PhD or are at an early stage of their postdoctoral training are encouraged to apply to this tenure-track faculty appointment. Areas of interest in the current search include drug discovery, including small molecule and biosimilar therapeutics, delivery, pharmacokinetics, and/or toxicology, broadly interpreted. Primary appointment will be in the College of Science (Chemistry and Chemical Biology), with joint appointments possible in the College of Engineering (Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering), or other departments across the colleges. Appointments will have the opportunity to collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams across the University and will complement existing strengths.

The College of Science seeks to give excellent candidates at the earliest stages of their careers the opportunity, resources, and support to establish innovative and impactful research careers. This position in the College of Science may be part of the INVEST initiative to hire faculty at an early career stage, without need for a postdoctoral period. Our tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. The hire will be mentored for success, with mentoring teams and group guidance. In addition, a strong and effective faculty development strategy is part of the Northeastern institutional mission. The ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development works in conjunction with the Office of Research Development (ORD), the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and University Decision Support (UDS) to provide programs and trainings to further develop and support a thriving faculty.

The College of Science comprises six departments: Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (“CCB”) (https://cos.northeastern.edu/chemistry-chemical-biology/) includes 38 tenured/tenure-track faculty, including joint appointments, 30% of whom are women; 25 full-time teaching faculty; two research faculty; and nine faculty with affiliated appointments. CCB enrolls approximately 150 undergraduate majors; 30 M.S. and PlusOne (BS/MS) students; and 100 Ph.D. students. CCB co-manages a Biochemistry major together with the Department of Biology.

The College of Engineering comprises five departments: Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. The Bioengineering (https://bioe.northeastern.edu/) Department of has 36 tenured/tenure-track faculty and six full-time teaching faculty. The departmental spirit is collegial, vibrant, and growing and is home to approximately 135 Ph.D. students, 100 M.S. students, and 650 undergraduate students, over half of whom are women. The Chemical Engineering Department (che.northeastern.edu) has 29 tenure/tenure-track faculty including joint appointments, 50% of whom are women, five teaching faculty, and one research professor. Chemical Engineering is home to approximately 400 undergraduates across 7 majors and combined majors and over 135 graduate students in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Experiential education is a hallmark of our programs, where students gain experience at leading biotechnology companies based in Boston's globally-dominant entrepreneurial space (Moderna, Editas, Gingko Bioworks, for instance). Northeastern's integrative education model is ranked #1 in Cooperative education programs (US News and World Report: 2022) which leads directly to the remarkable career placement rate of 96% for our students. The Massachusetts campuses are physically located at the nexus of the largest concentration of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the world.

Northeastern University is a global university system. Opportunities to collaborate extend throughout the campus network and beyond the University.

At Northeastern University, we embrace a culture of respect and inclusion, where each person is valued and empowered with equitable opportunities and access to resources. See our website for more information about the College and its Leadership Team, or the College of Engineering’s College Leadership - Northeastern University College of Engineering.

Responsibilities:

The potential hire is expected to develop vigorous research programs cross cutting the fields of small molecule synthesis, drug design, drug delivery, and pharmacokinetics, toxicology, biochemistry, chemical biology, or biomaterials. Faculty responsibilities will include developing independent research programs that attract external funding; teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate level; supervising students and postdocs in their area of research; and participating in service to the department, university, and discipline. Because Northeastern is a global institution with locations in an array of jurisdictions, qualified candidates must be prepared to work with global student populations.

Qualifications:

Applicants must have a PhD in chemistry, biology, engineering or related fields by the employment start date. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, including academia and industry.

Applicants should have a strong record of scholarly accomplishment that demonstrates the ability to build a strong research program. Evidence of potential as a research scientist is expected, but postdoctoral experience is not required for appointments at the Assistant Professor level. Candidates must be committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching.  They should embrace the Northeastern emphasis on experiential education and the college philosophy that access to science education and careers must be inclusive. Depending on the research profile and expertise, a joint or affiliate appointment in another department(s) within the University is possible.

Additional Information:

We have a continuing commitment to ensuring equity and respect in our research collaborations, classrooms, and community. Applications will be reviewed beginning on December 1, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Professor Mary Jo Ondrechen, [email protected].

Successful faculty at Northeastern will be dynamic and innovative scholars with a record of research and teaching excellence. Please indicate how your expertise, knowledge, and skills have prepared you to contribute to this work with written statements addressing the following prompts:

Research statement (no longer than 5 pages):

Please describe the focus of your research, including the questions you have identified, the funding you have received to support the work (if applicable), the results you have discovered, and the products of these efforts. Highlight any cross-disciplinary research efforts you have undertaken. Finally, please outline the research directions you foresee pursuing in the College of Science, any cross-disciplinary and collaborative aspects, and the strategies you will take to address each direction.

Teaching statement (1 page):

Please summarize your past instructional and mentorship experiences, your pedagogical philosophy, your plans/goals for teaching in the College of Science (including existing and proposed courses), and your strategies for teaching and mentoring global student populations.

Leadership statement (1 page):

Please describe your past experiences and activities and/or your future plans detailing your leadership style, how you intend to cultivate a culture that promotes a sense of belonging, including fostering a free and open exchange of ideas and managing different perspectives to help others strengthen their practice.

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Position Type

Academic

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Pay Range:

Assistant Professor: $103,000.00 - $122,000.00

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.