Federal
ASSISTANT/ ASSOCIATE/ PROFESSOR
Department of the Air Force - Agency Wide · Department of the Air Force
About This Position
This is a Tenure Track position. Academic tenure is based upon performance and approval of the faculty and may be considered after the initial or subsequent 3-year appointment period. Selectee may be offered initial appointment with tenure if their academic credentials warrant the action. Performs Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/ Professor duties in the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at AFIT.
Qualifications
This is a Tenure track position: Academic tenure is based upon performance and approval of the faculty and may be considered after the initial or subsequent 3-year period. Selectee may be offered an initial appointment with tenure if their academic credentials warrant such an action. Applicants are strongly encouraged to select AD-22 as the lowest grade they are willing to accept to be eligible for AD 22-23-24 certificate. This is an open continuous announcement and will be used to fill vacancies as openings occur. To receive consideration for vacancies, applicants must submit complete applications prior to the established cut-off date(s). Application initial cut-off date is 1 March 2026 and every 30 days thereafter. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible. This announcement will remain open until the closing date indicated; however, those who apply after the cut-off date will be considered for referral to the hiring manager only if no selection is made from the initial group or if additional vacancies occur and the initial referral list yielded an insufficient number of candidates. If you make corrections and resubmit your application, the date the application is last submitted will be used to determine those who are considered to have met the cut-off date. This announcement is open until 30 Jun 2026 and may be used to fill like vacancies for 90 days after the closing date. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Degree An earned doctoral degree in Astronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field is required before employment begins (projected for Fall 2026). ENY An earned doctoral degree from an AACSB International accredited institution in logistics, supply chain management, operations management, management information systems, economics, or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENS An earned doctoral degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENG An earned Doctorate degree in System Engineering, or Industrial and Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline with systems engineering/ acquisition experience, or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENV An earned Doctorate degree in System Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline with a specialty in Human Factors Engineering, Cognitive Systems Engineering, or Human Systems Integration , or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENV An earned Doctorate (Ph.D. or D.B.A.) in a relevant discipline such as Acquisition Management, Program Management, Business, Systems Engineering, or Public Policy, or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENV An earned doctoral degree in a wide variety of fields that includes physics, applied physics, engineering physics, nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, nuclear chemistry, chemistry, materials science, materials engineering, laser science, laser engineering, optics, photonics, optical sciences, optical engineering, atmospheric science, meteorology, space physics, space science, or a closely related discipline (required prior to employment start; projected Fall 2026). ENP Commensurate with their intended academic rank, the applicant's record of scholarship must show the ability or potential to (1) conduct and disseminate scholarly research, (2) effectively teach graduate level courses and (3) meet professional and institutional service obligations. Knowledge and expertise of current defense technologies, and where appropriate, defense programs at the national level including political processes, military budgeting priorities, and developing alliances between departments and agencies. Possess the ability to communicate clearly and expertly in both verbal and written forms concerning academic, administrative, and technical subject matters. At the Assistant Professor Rank: A relevant earned doctoral degree from an accredited academic institution or equivalent experience and professional recognition; demonstrated or presumptive potential for effective teaching, research, consultation, and other scholarly and professional activities. At the Associate Professor Rank: A relevant earned doctoral degree from an accredited academic institution or an appropriate terminal professional or academic degree; evidence of sustained teaching effectiveness; research, scholarly, creative, and professional activities including publication in appropriately recognized professional journals (normally refereed archival), books, or monographs; discipline-related community service; and normally, no less than 5 years of significant professional experience, normally including a minimum of 3 years of full-time university-level teaching at the rank of Assistant Professor. Academic rank alone does not suffice for promotion to Associate Professor. At the Full Professor Rank: At the Full Professor Rank: In addition to the criteria for an Associate Professor, an initial appointment to the academic rank of Professor must be based on convincing evidence that the faculty member has a sustained record of excellence in teaching, has produced a significant body of scholarship that is recognized nationally or internationally, and has demonstrated leadership in service to the discipline. The candidate must have a minimum of 10 years of significant professional experience after having earned the doctoral degree. This will normally include no fewer than 6 years of full-time, university-level teaching with a minimum of 3 years at the Associate Professor rank or higher. Alternatively, for those with fewer than 6 years of teaching experience, the requirement is 10 years of significant professional experience with research credentials substantially more than those normally expected of a full Professor. Applicants will be assessed based on education, evidence of teaching effectiveness, quality of scholarship, and demonstrated service to educational institutions and the discipline commensurate with years in the discipline. Essential qualities expected of every faculty member include the personal attributes of integrity, industry, cooperation, initiative, enthusiasm, and breadth of intellectual interests.
Major Duties
Applicants are strongly encouraged to select AD-22 as the lowest grade they are willing to accept to be eligible for AD 22-23-24 certificate. Performs the following faculty duties in the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, Air Force Institute of Technology: Teaching Teaches students in graduate courses, including the associated duties of enforcing classroom standards, preparing course materials according to published course descriptions, and providing extra instruction outside of normal class hours for students who require it. Teaching includes all activities by a faculty member within the formal academic degree programs of the Institute. Teaching contributes to the efforts of students to acquire intellectual skills, to extend knowledge and understanding, or to develop attitudes and habits that foster continuing growth. The diversity of teaching activities includes classroom lectures, laboratory and project course supervision and teaching, program and course development, development of pedagogical materials, supervision of doctoral and master's students, and related activities outside the classroom. Excellence in teaching draws continuously upon the teacher's ability as a scholar in the discipline. Provides well-organized instruction to facilitate, assess, and continuously improve student learning. Counsels and evaluates assigned students, providing student assessment and motivation. Research: Scholarly activities and professional accomplishments. Initiates and conducts a program of research in the field of specialization, which contributes to the body of knowledge. Pursues professional development through membership in professional societies and participation in conferences or other appropriate activities to maintain professional and academic currency in area of specialization. Research is defined as inquiry undertaken to establish facts, develop principles, or illuminate or answer questions within an area of intellectual pursuit through the systematic collection of evidence that can be subjected to replication, verification, or critical evaluation by persons other than the original researcher. Research activity is expected to result in peer-reviewed journal publications, invited or reviewed conference presentations and proceedings, research grants, review papers, monographs, and seminar and colloquium presentations. Faculty members are expected, over their careers, to establish and sustain sponsored research, to include funding sufficient to support their scholarly activities. Service and Administration Service is defined as contributions and activities that promote the general welfare of the Institute, the academic discipline, the Department of War, and society at large. Graduate faculty members provide advice and counsel to improve the quality of educational programs. Faculty members serve internally through various departmental, School and Institute committees. They are active in School governance, assume administrative duties within the Department, and mentor junior faculty members. Service includes displaying a collegial spirit of cooperation and contribution to the affairs of the Department, the School, and the Institute. Faculty serve their respective disciplines by refereeing journal articles, conference papers and grant proposals, organizing professional conferences or sessions, as members of editorial boards, as officers of professional societies, and as members of national and/or international review boards and committees. Faculty contribute to the overall mission of the U.S. Air Force and Department of War by providing expert consultation, serving on advisory boards, and facilitating technology transfer.
Education
This position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Starting September 27, 2025, USAJOBS began restricting all resumes to two pages in length. Applicants possessing the required qualifications as contained within this announcement will be evaluated and ranked by a Faculty-Rating Panel based on the extent to which their experience and education relate to the requirements of the position and the needs of AFIT. A personal interview and presentation to the faculty may be required of the top applicants. Applicants will be assessed based on their teaching credentials, scholarship, service, and education. Your application package (curriculum vitae, transcripts, supporting documents, etc.) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. An incomplete package will result in non-consideration of your application. Interested persons should submit a curriculum vitae and a statement of interest that addresses the ways in which the applicant's qualifications meet the requirements of the ad to include evidence of teaching excellence and promise of research productivity. Additional documents are required to complete your application package, please reference the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" section for more information.
Additional Information
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. Late applications from veterans will not be accepted for faculty positions. Late applications for veterans only apply when filling positions in the competitive service. As a condition of employment, male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information click here. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required by PL 104-134 to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit. Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information. Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service of at least three (3) calendar days may be required prior to appointment to the position. Application materials become the property of AFIT and WILL NOT be returned. Applications submitted under this announcement will be considered ONLY for this vacancy. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.
How to Apply
The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/30/2026. To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12871200 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: a letter of application (cover letter), resume, curriculum vitae, legible copies of ALL transcripts, statement of teaching, and statement of research interest. PLEASE NOTE: A Doctoral degree is required before employment begins, but ALL transcripts must be provided for ALL degrees being pursued or obtained as stated in your curriculum vitae are required. Questions on the position opening or the Department should be directed to the Tammy Nixon at email: [email protected]. You can also notify her of your intention to apply. An incomplete package will result in non-consideration of your application. 1. Your Resume: Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. If you submit more than one Resume, only the most recent (latest) will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. For qualification determination your Resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your Resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade, i.e., GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your Resume/Curriculum Vitae. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. Your Curriculum Vitae: Teaching accomplishments: Include teaching experience and teaching awards Professional Accomplishments: Include research, consultations, publications, and awards Service Accomplishments: Include membership, leadership roles, nature of service and contribution in collegial and/or professional organizations, societies, etc. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the curriculum vitae you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. If you are claiming veterans' preference, please provide basic eligibility information in your cover letter. Also include in your application a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) and, if disabled, a completed SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference), along with a letter for federal employment from the Department of Veterans Affairs indicating your service-connected disability rating. IF APPLICABLE: An active-duty military member's statement of service/certification letter will be accepted in lieu of a DD-214. The statement/certification letter can be obtained from your servicing military personnel office and must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters and must indicate your rank, dates of active-duty service, and type of discharge/character of service (i.e. honorable). Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military separation, if member is on terminal leave, and if applicable, with the appropriate 180-day approved waiver. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Letter of application (cover letter) (Required) Resume: Your resume may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume may be submitted in any format. For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., hour per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). Resumes that do not contain this information may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. Additional information on resume requirements can be located under "How To Apply". (Required) Curriculum Vitae: You must submit a curriculum vitae (no length restrictions), and it must contain detailed information in the following areas, as appropriate (Required): Teaching Accomplishments: Include teaching experience and teaching awards. Professional Accomplishments: Include research, consultations, publications, and awards. Service Accomplishments: Include membership, leadership roles, nature of service and contribution in collegial and/or professional organizations, societies, etc. Transcripts - This position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. (Required) List of three professional references (to include name, complete mailing address and phone number) (Required - may be in CV) Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your professional work is (Highly Desired) Statement of Teaching (Highly Desired) Statement of Research interests (Highly Desired) Veterans' preference documents, if applicable (i.e. DD-214, SF-15, Veterans Affairs letter for federal employment) (If applicable) U.S. Equivalency from a Department of Education approved (non-federal) credentialing agency (i.e. AICE, NACES), who will complete a U.S. Standard of Education Conversion for education completed in foreign colleges or universities. (If applicable)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for the ASSISTANT/ ASSOCIATE/ PROFESSOR position at Department of the Air Force - Agency Wide?
The salary range for this position is $75,469 - $209,600/yr. This is a AD-22/24 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the ASSISTANT/ ASSOCIATE/ PROFESSOR job located?
This position is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
This is a Tenure track position: Academic tenure is based upon performance and approval of the faculty and may be considered after the initial or subsequent 3-year period. Selectee may be offered an initial appointment with tenure if their academic credentials warrant such an action. Applicants are strongly encouraged to select AD-22 as the lowe...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Jun 30, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does AD-22/24 mean?
AD-22/24 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.