We're Hiring!

Position Function:

The Department of Aerospace Engineering (ASE) at Mississippi State University (MSU) invites applications for multiple tenure-track faculty positions in the areas of (1) Dynamics, Control, and Autonomy, with applications to aerospace Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC); (2) Aerospace Structures and Materials, with a focus on composite manufacturing; and (3) Astronautics, with preferred emphasis on orbital mechanics and spacecraft design. Entry at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor rank is possible based on qualifications and experience. Outstanding candidates will be eligible for an appointment as an Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering.

Salary Grade:  UC

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

MSU (http://www.msstate.edu) is a comprehensive public institution with an enrollment of more than 22,000 students, located in Starkville, MS. Starkville (http://visit.starkville.org) is a small college town that offers a yearly calendar of diverse cultural events. MSU is among the nation's leading major research universities, being classified as Carnegie Foundation R1 university. With over 100 tenure-track/tenured faculty members, the Bagley College of Engineering (http://www.bagley.msstate.edu) offers over 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across eight different academic engineering departments.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering (http://www.ae.msstate.edu) currently has nine tenure-track/tenured faculty and five full-time non-tenured faculty. With over 400 undergraduate and over 50 graduate students, the department offers an ABET-accredited BS degree in aerospace engineering with concentrations in aeronautics and astronautics as well as an MS degree in aerospace engineering and a PhD degree in engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering. The ASE Department provides Engineering Mechanics instruction in support of multiple engineering disciplines within the Bagley College of Engineering.
ASE Department faculty members are actively engaged in research at state-of-the-art research centers, including the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (Raspet, http://www.raspet.msstate.edu), the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS, http://www.cavs.msstate.edu), the High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPCC), and the Marvin B. Dow Advanced Composites Institute (ACI, https://www.aci.msstate.edu). The HPCC currently provides 592 Teraflops of computing power to MSU researchers and maintains HPC capability that is consistently in the top 500 in the world. MSU is the lead organization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) center of excellence known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE, www.assureuas.org). In alliance with Raspet, the ASE Department operates the Autonomous Systems Research Laboratory, an indoor arena for experimentation involving autonomous aerial and ground mobile agents, and an anechoic chamber facility with a noise floor of 11 dBA. In addition to these research facilities and capabilities, the department has a new low-speed, low-turbulence wind tunnel, featuring a long test section, a smoke tunnel, composites fabrication capability, a mechanical testing and material characterization laboratory, a flight simulator, and a light gas gun impact lab. The department proudly supports its many students active in award-winning rocketry, uncrewed aerial vehicle, and space hardware competition teams.

Area of Specialization:

Aerospace Engineering

Anticipated Appointment Date:

January 2, 2027

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The following examples are illustrations of the various types of duties assigned to this position. The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those duties from the position if the work is a logical assignment of the position.
1. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Aerospace Engineering.
2. Supervise research of graduate students.
3. Engage in scholarly activities resulting in journal and conference papers.
4. Serve as an active member of the technical community and participate in the activities of professional and/or technical societies.

Minimum Qualifications:

A PhD in aerospace engineering or a closely related field is required. PhD candidates will be considered contingent upon completion of their degree. Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred qualifications include teaching experience, a substantial record of peer-reviewed publications and demonstrated ability to secure external funding.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

A PhD in aerospace engineering or a closely related field is required. PhD candidates will be considered contingent upon completion of their degree. Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Typical Office Environment

Instructions for Applying:

Interested parties must apply online at https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/jobs/search and attach a cover letter, complete curriculum vitae that includes a list of references, and a research and teaching statement. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2026; applications will be accepted and reviewed until positions are filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.