CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Full-time position in the area of Environmental Science and Public Policy

25 de Marzo 2025
Noticias

Faculty position in Environmental Science and Public Policy

We invites outstanding candidates for a full-time faculty position in the area of Environmental Science and Public Policy at the School of Government (EG), and the Department of Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering (DIHA), with a special focus on academics with strong credentials in data science. Although this call is initially intended for candidates at the Assistant Professor level, exceptional applications at the Associate Professor level are also welcome.

Duties

High-quality teaching (at engineering undergraduate and graduate levels) and conducting independent research. Additional duties include knowledge transfer, outreach, student counseling and university administrative tasks. The ideal candidate will combine a comprehensive understanding of environmental systems and their corresponding institutional contexts, the application of data science technologies for their description and analysis/modelling, and a strong interest in applying the obtained results to inform public policy.

Teaching

The candidate must develop teaching activities at the undergraduate level at the DIHA and the EG. Thus, the candidate should be able to teach an undergraduate course on environmental engineering. On the other hand, the undergraduate teaching activity of the candidate at the EG should focus on teaching or co-teaching an interdisciplinary course on environmental public policy that would gather students from different careers at UC. This course would cater to students from various disciplines at PUC and will be integrated into the EG academic program. Finally, at the graduate level, the candidate should teach an advanced course related to his or her research background, ideally focusing on environmental data science. Overall, the candidate is expected to teach three courses per year and join teaching groups according to their lines of development.

The candidate is expected to show proactivity and a willingness to work as a team and train and supervise graduate students (Master and Doctorate) at the School of Engineering and the EG.

Research

The professor is expected to apply to national and international research funds. The candidate is expected to work together with investigators from the engineering school, as well as social sciences, economics, biology, ecology, and other fields different from engineering, which can enhance the activity related to the research lines of the EG.

Knowledge transfer

The candidate is expected to conduct applied projects with public and private entities

Requirements

Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, or a related field, at the time of hiring. It is expected that the research of the applicant can show expertise in the application of data science -broadly defined- for the description, understanding and/or modelling of environmental systems. Even though it is not considered a requirement at the time of application for the position, the candidate is expected to be committed to developing a direct or multidisciplinary application of its insights on environmental public policy.  Due to the nature of our university, the applicant will have the opportunity and should be willing to work collaboratively with other Departments in the School of Engineering and faculty members at the School of Government in areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, ecology, and all the social sciences represented at EG, among others. The following are some examples of development areas highly welcomed:

  • Develop and apply predictive models and advanced technologies (AI, machine learning, IoT, UAVs, remote sensing).
  • Conduct data-intensive research in areas such as water environmental quality, climate change, and ecosystem resilience.
  • Contribute to developing evidence-based public policies to address socio-environmental concerns such as climate change, water security, ecosystem resilience, water-food-energy nexus, and public health.
  • Manage cloud-based environmental data and workflows, develop open-source software, and produce training materials.

Previous experience in teaching and research, having led or participated in research and development projects, and having an experimental/technological approach based on the fundamentals of the discipline will be positively considered. Previous postdoctoral or international academic experience should be stated in the application.

Candidates do not need to be fluent in Spanish at the time of application, but should be prepared to learn the language well enough to teach in Spanish in the short term (two years maximum). Fluency in English is a requirement.

Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to all aspects of academic life and public good of the institution. They must be highly motivated to continuously improve their teaching skills, have a genuine interest in getting involved with our graduate programs (specially the doctoral program) and be able to develop and maintain an active research agenda leading to high quality publications, securing research grants, generating and participating in interdisciplinary projects, leading scientific and industry-liaison initiatives, strengthening and creating national and international academic networks, etc. The candidate will also be expected to create new undergraduate and graduate courses and teach traditional courses in related areas.

If selected for the position, foreigners that apply from abroad must obtain the appropriate visa in their country of residence, to join the University faculty.

Application instructions

Applicants should submit their application through the website: https://tinyurl.com/2s3s6e2d (note A) by June 15th, 2025 (late applications will be considered until the position is filled).  Please select “Faculty position in Environmental Science and Public Policy” in the application form and consider that you will be required to provide the following information:

  1. A research statement (in English) indicating the immediate and long-term goals of the applicant’s research plan and detailing potential collaboration networks with other researchers and plans for interactions with scientists in Chile and other countries.
  2. A teaching statement of purpose (in English) indicating why the applicant should be considered for the position and the plans for teaching. The applicant should be as specific as possible by providing examples of the plan to transfer knowledge to undergraduate and graduate students.
  3. An updated curriculum vitae (in English, see note B).
  4. If available, copies of five recent Web of Science publications that are relevant to the context of the application (see note C).
  5. At least, three letters of recommendation, which must be e-mailed directly by the signatories to facultypositions.ing@uc.cl.
Note A:
The applicant will get an email confirming that the documents have been received.
Note B:
The CV must be organized as follows:i. Personal information: name, address, contact telephone number (with country and city codes), email address, web page (if any).ii. Education: all academic and professional degrees, indicating the granting institutions and dates. If the applicant is currently enrolled in a doctoral program, please indicate the expected date for the degree.iii. Educational experience (university or institution, courses taught and years).iv. Professional experience (employer, duties, years).v. Research:a. List of Web of Science journal publications (see note C).b. List of other publications such as reports, books or book chapters, conferences attended, research projects participated in, patents, etc.vi. Other: awards, computer skills, languages, and any other relevant background information.
 Note C:
Please avoid padding the list with other publications, such as those published in journals not indexed in the Web of Science database, conference presentations and alike.

Once the complete set of application materials has been received, the applicant will be contacted within two months after the application deadline and informed whether the application has been accepted for further consideration. If this initial screening is successful, the candidate will be asked to continue the process following the steps described in Appendix 1.

Further information

Please contact Diego Gil diego.gil@uc.cl

EEO/AAP Policy Statement

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is committed to providing equal employment opportunities, fostering an inclusive, diverse and fraternal community, and promoting the academic development of women and men.

Other Chilean and University employment benefits may be found in:

All members of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile subscribe the Code of Ethics that can be found in https://www.uc.cl/codigodehonor

 Appendix 1. Application steps

  • Interviews/Seminar:
    1. Interview with the Selection Committee
    2. Interview with faculty members of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering
    3. Interview with the Director of the School of Government (EG)
    4. Psychological Interview
    5. Seminar (open to faculty members of the School of Engineering)

The interviews and seminar are generally carried out within a week.

  • Selection of the final candidate by the Selection Committee
  • Ratification of the selected candidate by the School Council
  • The selected candidate is informed (offer letter)

The time that elapses from the interviews until the final resolution is typically around two months.