Job Details

University of Nevada, Reno

The Department of Physics at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Astronomy and Astrophysics, with a start date of July 1, 2026, or later. We welcome applications from candidates across all areas of observational and theoretical astronomy.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Develop and maintain a robust, externally-funded research program.
• Mentor PhD and undergraduate students in research and academic development.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and astronomy.
• Contribute to departmental, college, and university service.

Required Qualifications:

Ph.D. in Astronomy or Astrophysics, or in a related field, including Physics.

Preferred Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have demonstrated an ability to perform research at the forefront of their subfield and demonstrated a commitment to building an inclusive scholarly environment.

Compensation Grade: Assistant Professor

To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Academic Faculty (Nine-month). Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement!

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested on your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.

Perks of Working at UNR!

• Health insurance options including dental and vision.
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options.
• Reno is proud to be a University town! Many local businesses offer discounts to WolfCard holders.
• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University.
• No state income tax!

Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees

The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits but, in order to be eligible, children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee's spouse or domestic partner.

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples' professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada.

Department Information

UNR is a Carnegie R1 Research University and Nevada's land-grant institution. The Physics department houses around 20 tenure-track and research faculty, 5 teaching faculty, and around 40 PhD students. Our undergraduate program offers a physics major and an astronomy minor. Astrophysics research areas include black hole accretion and relativistic jets, multi-wavelength astronomy, and laboratory astrophysics experiments in photoionized plasmas and warm dense matter. We are a partner institution of the 0.7 meter Great Basin Observatory located in Great Basin National Park in Eastern Nevada (an International Dark Sky Park). The successful applicant will have access to UNR's high performance computing cluster Pronghorn. The department also has close ties with the Nevada Center for Astrophysics, based in Las Vegas, which comprises 17 tenure-track research faculty with expertise from stars and exoplanets to multi-messenger astronomy.

For more information, please see here:

Contact Information

Search Chair: Richard Plotkin at ...@unr.edu or 775-###-####

Search Coordinator: Beth Jacobsen at ...@unr.edu or 775-###-####

Application Materials: The following materials must be submitted with your application:

• Resume/CV that includes a list of publications.
• Cover letter summarizing the application in the context of this ad. (1 page maximum).
• Research statement highlighting past research successes and future interests. This statement should include the types of research projects envisioned for graduate and undergraduate students. Please include one (1) lead author publication that the applicant would most like the committee to read to help assess originality of ideas and science communication skills (2-4 pages maximum).
• Teaching statement describing the applicant's teaching philosophy and educational goals at UNR. Clearly state prior teaching, mentoring, and/or outreach experiences so that accomplishments can be judged relative to opportunity. (1-2 pages maximum).
• Contact Information for Three Professional References who have agreed to send letters on request.

Full Consideration

For full consideration, applications must be received by December 3, 2025.

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