Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering (Operations Research)

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu .

Job Description

The School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering (MIME) at the University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Industrial Engineering, with a primary focus on Operations Research and Optimization. Anticipated start date is July 1, 2027.

Industrial Engineering is one of the University’s newest and fastest-growing engineering programs, currently with three tenure-track faculty. The successful candidate will have a rare opportunity to help shape the program’s research direction, curriculum, laboratories, and industry partnerships from an early stage.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will be expected to: Establish an externally funded, nationally recognized research program in operations research and publish in high-impact venues.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses and develop new courses that strengthen the curriculum.
• Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
• Collaborate across the School, College, and with industry and national laboratory partners.
• Contribute to service at the School, College, University, and professional levels.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in one or more of the following areas: Operations Research, Optimization, Stochastic Processes, Simulation, Supply Chain and Logistics, Decision and Data Analytics, Engineering Economics, and Manufacturing Systems; and develop new courses that strengthen the curriculum.
• Required Qualifications
• Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Systems Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated potential to establish an externally funded research program.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: mathematical optimization; stochastic modeling and optimization under uncertainty; simulation and digital twins; integration of machine learning and AI with optimization, including prescriptive analytics; supply chain, logistics, and transportation systems; or scheduling, resource allocation, risk analysis, and system resilience.
• Research that applies these methods to manufacturing, energy, critical materials, or aerospace, which are sectors central to Northern Nevada’s economy.
• A record of scholarly publication appropriate to career stage.
• Experience preparing research proposals to federal agencies, industry, or other sponsors.
• Postdoctoral, industrial, or national laboratory experience.
• Interest in interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering and related fields.
• Exceptional candidates in other areas of operations research are also encouraged to apply.

About the School and Program

Join a faculty of 32 in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering focused on advancing national efforts in space exploration, manufacturing, robotics, autonomous vehicles, as well as developing the systems and processes to best utilize our natural resources, including critical materials. Our school is home to George W. Gillemot Aerospace Program, established in 2023 with a $36 million gift. The new $100-million William N. Pennington Engineering Building houses an ISO-5 (CLASS 100) cleanroom.

School resources include access to the University’s High Performance Computing facility and secured space for the new aerospace and industrial engineering programs. In addition, the school is developing new Industrial Engineering facilities to support a Smart Factory/Flexible Manufacturing System learning environment, including space for industrial automation equipment, student work areas, vision systems, and related manufacturing and logistics training platforms.

The Industrial Engineering program prepares students to design and optimize complex systems involving people, materials, information, equipment, and energy. The School is building a Smart Factory / Flexible Manufacturing Systems laboratory with industrial automation, machine vision, and manufacturing and logistics equipment to support hands-on learning and research in operations research, industrial analytics, and supply chains.

Contact Information

Questions about the position may be directed to:

Dr. Pradeep L. Menezes, Professor and Search Committee Chair School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno at pmenezes@unr.edu

Exempt

Yes

Full-Time Equivalent

100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review.

To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu .

Please attach the following documents to your application

Resume/CV

Cover Letter

• Contact Information for three professional references
• Research statement describing accomplishments, future plans, and potential funding sources
• Teaching statement describing teaching philosophy, courses the applicant is prepared to teach, and ideas for new course development
• Statement on mentoring and student success
• Full Consideration

Review of applications will begin immediately. For full consideration, applications should be received by December 15, 2026 . The position will remain open until filled.

This posting is open until filled

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Posting Close Date

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls,

braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting.

The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025.

Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.

Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University’s website .

University of Nevada, Reno