The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus, welcomes applications for the Patrick David Campbell Chair in Mechanical Engineering Design – a new permanently endowed chair open to applicants qualified to be appointed at the level of Full Professor with tenure in Mechanical Engineering at UBC. The Chair appointment will initially be for a 5-year term and may be extended for additional terms, subject to satisfactory review. The position comes with a significant endowed fund to support Chair activities. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2023, or shortly thereafter.

We are seeking a highly collaborative and communicative person who can draw together people, ideas, and approaches from a broad range of disciplines and perspectives to design systems and technologies that address the world’s most challenging problems. The successful applicant will articulate a compelling vision for design within, across, and beyond the university, and demonstrate a passion for mentoring, training, and developing people in the practice of design thinking.

Our Department is strongly committed to interdisciplinary research, and we seek applicants who can foster new collaborations between researchers across and beyond our faculty, ideally building on recent coordinated hires made in cross-disciplinary research clusters (funded through the President’s Academic Excellence Initiative) that connect the Faculty’s Schools of Engineering, Urban Planning, Nursing, and Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field, and should demonstrate leadership and communication skills. They will posses a strong track record of scholarly eminence including an independent, internationally recognized research program, demonstrated evidence of success and excellence in teaching, and participation in academic and professional affairs. The ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion as well as indigenous engagement. The successful applicant will lead an independent, internationally recognized research program in design, teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervise and mentor Master’s and Ph.D. students, and provide service to the University and the community. The successful applicant must either be registered, or be eligible to register, with Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC).  

UBC’s Vancouver campus is situated at the tip of ʔəlqsən (Point Grey) on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, surrounded by forest, ocean and mountains. Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the most diverse cities in Canada, and one of the most livable cities in the world. UBC aims to amplify the power of its unique place, people, and expertise to create an engineering design program based in our Department and benefitting the broader community.

All of our work is shaped by our values: professionalism and integrity; scholarship and teaching excellence; commitment to students; partnerships and collegiality; initiative, innovation, and willingness to change; community, the environment, and sustainability. We hold these values as an integral frame of reference to inform our decisions and actions at every level and in every situation.

We invite interested applicants to submit a single .PDF file that includes their CV, a list of four references, and statements on design, research, teaching, and diversity; for more details regarding expectations for these statements, please see below. Applications must be submitted online at https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-

US/ubcfacultyjobs/job/Endowed-Chair–Full-Professor–in-Mechanical-EngineeringDesign_JR9872-1. For more details on UBC, our Department, and the application and interview process, see https://www.mech.ubc.ca/careers. 

Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2022; applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

Details on Design Statement: In up to 2-3 pages, please describe your design-related experience and how your background and vision for your future work align with the goals of the Patrick David Campbell Chair in Mechanical Engineering Design.

Details on Research Statement: In up to 4-5 pages, please describe both your research experience and expertise and your research plans as a new faculty member, including, as appropriate, current and potential collaborators (at UBC and elsewhere) and planned sources of funding.

Details on Teaching Statement: In up to 2-3 pages, please describe your teaching experience at any and all scales from one-on-one tutoring to small group tutorials to teaching large section courses. Also, explain your teaching philosophy, including specific examples that have informed the evolution of that teaching philosophy.

Details on Diversity Statement: UBC’s strategic plan identifies inclusive excellence as one of our key priorities. We welcome colleagues with the experiences and competencies that can contribute to our principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout campus life. In up to 2 pages, please describe your experience working with a diverse student body and your contributions to creating/advancing a culture of equity and inclusion on campus or within your discipline.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Accommodations are available on request for all applicants with disabilities and/or other special needs, at all stages of the selection process. To confidentially request accommodations, please see our website FAQ. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority consideration.