The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.

Job Description

The Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (MME) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) invites applications for the position of Department Chair at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. This is a tenured position and the selected candidate must be eligible for tenure upon arrival.

We are seeking a visionary leader with a strong background in mining and metallurgical engineering or a closely related field, who can guide the department into the future of mining, metallurgy, and mineral resource engineering. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of leadership in academia, industry, or government, with expertise in traditional and emerging fields such as:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Mining
• Automation, Robotics, and Smart Sensing in Mining
• Renewable Energy Applications in Resource Extraction
• Critical Minerals and Sustainable Metallurgy
• Circular Economy and Responsible Mining Practices
• Advanced Computational and Digital Twin Technologies
• Water and Energy Efficiency in Mineral Processing

We are particularly interested in candidates with strong industry experience and connections, capable of fostering meaningful collaborations between academia and industry to drive innovation, workforce development, and applied research.

While preference will be given to candidates with a mining engineering background, we also welcome applicants from related disciplines with a demonstrated commitment to the mining and metallurgical fields.

Key Responsibilities

Department Leadership & Administration:

• Provide visionary leadership to guide the department into emerging frontiers of mining and metallurgy.
• Oversee the department's academic programs, research initiatives, and strategic planning.
• Manage faculty recruitment, mentoring, retention, and performance evaluation.
• Ensure curriculum excellence and accreditation compliance for ABET and other relevant bodies.
• Promote an inclusive and collaborative culture among faculty, staff, and students.

Research, Innovation & Industry Engagement:

• Strengthen the department's research profile through interdisciplinary and applied research initiatives.
• Expand collaborations with mining and metallurgical industries, regulatory agencies, and research institutions.
• Leverage industry partnerships to support research funding, workforce training, and technology transfer.
• Champion the adoption of AI, automation, renewable energy, and sustainability in mining and metallurgy.

External Relations, Fundraising & Professional Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong ties with industry leaders, alumni, and funding agencies.
• Engage with professional organizations such as SME, CIM, TMS
• Seek opportunities for philanthropic support and external funding to enhance research and education.

Student & Faculty Development:

• Support student recruitment, retention, and success through mentorship and career development programs.
• Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in all department activities.
• Enhance graduate and undergraduate research opportunities through industry partnerships.

Required Qualifications

**Candidates will be hired at the level that is comparable to experience***

• Ph.D. in Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Distinguished record of research, teaching, and service that qualifies for appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor level.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of university experience as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member.
• Proven record of strong industry connections and experience in fostering industry-academic collaborations.
• Track record of securing external research funding and publishing high-impact research.
• Experience with faculty and staff management, including mentoring, recruitment, and performance evaluation.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven administrative and leadership experience in academia.
• Active engagement in professional organizations such as SME, ARMA, or similar.

Compensation Grade

Associate Professor, 9-month

Professor, 9-month

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

Remarkable Retirement!

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 17.50% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested 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 - Health Insurance
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options. E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
• 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.
• Several Diversity Committees and Affinity Groups focusing on campus-wide diversity initiatives to ensure we are working to create a diverse and welcoming campus climate. Diversity Groups
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate
• 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 Grants-in-Aid

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. Dual Career Assistance Program

Department Information

The University of Nevada, Reno has a deep-rooted history in mining, dating back 150 years to the Comstock Lode era. The Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, part of the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, has played a central role in the university's success and Nevada's economic development. The state, historically known for its gold and silver production, is now a critical player in the sustainable resource sector, boasting seven of the largest lithium deposits in the United States. This positions UNR and the Mackay School at the forefront of modern mining, contributing to the nation's transition toward a sustainable, lithium-powered future.

The department remains a hub for students and professionals seeking to advance their careers while shaping the future of responsible resource development. See here for more information: https://www.unr.edu/mining

Contact Information

Search Committee Chair: Dr. Behrooz Abbasi at ba@unr.edu

Search Coordinator: Beth Jacobsen at (775) 682-8787 or jacobsenb@unr.edu

Exempt
Yes

Full-Time Equivalent
100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu.

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

1) Resume/CV - detailing academic achievements, research contributions, and leadership experience.

2) Cover Letter - addressing qualifications, leadership experience and vision for the department.

3) Statement of Research outlining past contributions and future directions.

4) Statement of Teaching Philosophy describing approaches to education, student mentorship.

5) Statement of leadership and management outlining leadership philosophy and administrative experience

6) Contact Information for Five Professional References

7) A brief statement (one page maximum) about how you would contribute toward our mission of creating a culturally inclusive environment in the role for which you are applying.

Full Consideration

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately with an initial review of applications starting March 15, 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 made.

Posting Close Date
04/16/2025

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member's first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person's age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada's original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 ("Very High Research") university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the "Best National Universities" and "Best National Public Universities." It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times' "Top Colleges for Economic Diversity."

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada's first medical school - the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University's physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as "University Village," to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.

Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google's TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada - led by the University of Nevada, Reno - was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada's Tech Hub will strengthen America's lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that's transforming Nevada's communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students' cognitive growth and academic achievement - all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University's website.

University of Nevada, Reno