Lecturer or Instructor, Optics and Photonics

The Opportunity

CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications for a full-time, 9-month faculty position at the rank of lecturer or instructor (non-tenure earning) in the area of optics and photonics.  This position will be largely tied to a substantial investment by the University of Central Florida (UCF) in its Space and Planetary Instrumentation for Commercialization and Exploration (SPICE) initiative, in collaboration with the Florida Space Institute, the Department of Physics, and other UCF units. This includes the establishment of a dedicated Space Photonics Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory, a related Space Photonics Research Laboratory, and a planned professor hire (in addition to this current non-tenure-track search).

The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to be an effective teacher and to teach students from diverse academic backgrounds. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses, working with CREOL faculty to establish both the Space Photonics Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory and related courses/curricula, and potentially some occasional graduate courses.

CREOL is one of the world’s foremost institutions for research and education in optics and photonic science and engineering. The college offers Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in optics and photonics, and a B.S. degree in photonic science and engineering. The faculty engage in fundamental and applied research and education in lasers, optical fibers, semiconductor and integrated photonic devices, nonlinear and quantum optics, imaging, sensing, and displays. The college is home to the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE), the Townes Laser Institute (TLI), and the Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology (iFAST). In addition, the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Sciences provide rich opportunities for collaboration. For more information visit www.creol.ucf.edu.

UCF has been consistently ranked highly among Best Global Universities for Optics by various agencies such as U.S. News & World Report. Located in Orlando, Florida, UCF is classified as a Very High Research Activity (R1) university by the Carnegie Foundation. With a diverse student body of more than 70,000 students, UCF is one of the largest universities in the country. The university offers more than 240 degree programs.  UCF is committed to diversity and was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2019.  For the fifth consecutive year, UCF has been recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities according to U.S. News & World Report while Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review have ranked UCF as one of the nation’s best values for a college education. For more information, visit https://www.ucf.edu.

Minimum Qualifications:

• M.S. (for Instructor), or Ph.D. (for Lecturer) from an accredited institution in optics or a closely related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. from an accredited institution in optics or a closely related discipline.

• Demonstrated experience and excellence in teaching in optics or a closely related discipline at the undergraduate level.

• Demonstrated hands-on laboratory experience in optics/photonics, with preference for space photonics applications.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/.  In addition to the online application, interested candidates should upload a curriculum vitae, statement of teaching plans, and names and contact information for three (3) professional references.

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be attached at that time. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

Questions regarding this search may be directed to the search committee chair, Professor Stephen Eikenberry, at Stephen.Eikenberry@ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

Open until filled.

Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted as ‘Open until filled’ may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers: 

• Benefit packages including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, healthcare flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program.

• Paid time off, including annual (12-month faculty) and sick time off and paid holidays.

• Retirement savings options.

• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions.

• Education assistance.

• Flexible work environment.

• And more…For more benefits information, go to ‘Prospective Employees’ on the UCF Human Resources website (https://hr.ucf.edu/)

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins. 

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of higher education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including Disabled/Vets.  Click on UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement to view the President’s Statement.

The UCF affirmative action plans for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected Veterans are available for inspection in the Office of Institutional Equity, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., upon request.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request. 

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.