Refer a Friend or Colleague

The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia – Vancouver campus (www.civil.ubc.ca) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering. This position is part of the UBC’s Black Faculty Cohort Hiring Initiative. The successful applicant should demonstrate a commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service.

The anticipated start date is July 1, 2025 or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and in the range $125,000 – 150,000/year.  The position is subject to final budgetary approval. 

Black Faculty Cohort Hiring Initiative

The University of British Columbia and the Department of Civil Engineering believes that a diverse campus community, inclusive learning and working environments, and equitable opportunities are foundational to cultivating a culture of respect and is essential to fostering academic and research excellence. This opportunity is part of the UBC-wide Black Faculty Hiring Initiative that aims to support the University’s commitments to advance inclusive excellence in teaching and research. The initiative is in alignment with the University’s commitment to advance the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, which is guided by four overarching principles: Black Flourishing, Inclusive Excellence, Mutuality, and Accountability. This initiative is also in response to the recommendations of the University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, which aims to increase the representation and provide support for Black faculty members at UBC. The purpose of hiring as a cohort provides an ecosystem approach to implementing a series of interrelated initiatives to promote and sustain Black Excellence. The program supports the recruitment of tenure-track and tenured professors at all ranks across both research and educational streams. The program encourages cohort hires, recognizing the ways in which this promotes interdisciplinary collaborations and helps create communities of support for scholars from underrepresented groups. As part of this initiative, the University aims to recruit 23 Black scholars over the next four years. For more information about the UBC Black Cohort Hiring Initiative, please visit: https://academic.ubc.ca/faculty-careers/black-faculty-cohort-hiring-initiative.

Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, this search will be restricted to qualified Black scholars. We welcome applications from Black scholars who may also identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, multi-racial persons, persons with disabilities, women, and/or members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Candidates are invited to self-identify through the Applicant Diversity Survey, which takes approximately two minutes to complete. All questions are voluntary, with an option to decline to answer. Applicants who wish to be considered for this initiative must self-identify as ‘Black’ to be considered eligible. All information collected by UBC will remain confidential and any reported data will be in aggregate form shared with the Search Committee to track intersectional diversity and support an equitable and meritorious search process.

The Position

The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia seeks to hire a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering as part of the UBC Black Faculty Cohort Hire. The candidate will be expected to develop and lead an independent and internationally recognized research program within the Department of Civil Engineering at UBC, which can include, but is not limited to research areas that are currently part of the Department. They will also be expected to seek and secure research funding, contribute to high quality undergraduate and graduate teaching and effective supervision of graduate students, and provide service to the University and the broader community. To learn more about the Department of Civil Engineering at UBC and its research, please visit: https://civil.ubc.ca.

Applicant Qualifications

The successful candidate will:

• Hold a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering or a closely-related field.


• Be registered, or be eligible for registration within five years of appointment, as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with Engineers and Geoscientists, British Columbia.


• Have evidence of or demonstrated potential to develop a strong externally funded research program.


• Have evidence of or demonstrated potential for high-quality undergraduate and graduate teaching, along with the ability to provide effective supervision of graduate students.


• Have demonstrated commitment to provide service to the academic and broader community.


• Have demonstrated ability to contribute to the Department’s equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity initiatives, and to promote an inclusive, collaborative, and respectful community.

Application Process

All applications must be submitted online and should include:

• A brief cover letter describing one’s suitability for the position,


• A curriculum vitae,


• A statement of research interests,


• A statement of teaching interests,


• A statement describing planned and past efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusivity, and/or reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. This statement may relate to lived/living experience, professional work or practice, academic and research activities, and/or community-engagement.


• Names and contact information (including email addresses) of four referees.

Review of applications will commence on November 15, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled.

The Department and Faculty

The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia-Vancouver is a top-ranked academic unit, with a reputation for excellence in research and teaching, and strong links to professional practice. As a Department, our strategic priorities are to ensure civil and environmental engineering education and research creates opportunities for the betterment of society, nature, and the built environment. In doing so, we are committed to the following: 1) fostering inclusive work, research and learning environments where respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion is embedded throughout; 2) building meaningful, sustainable, and supportive relationships and partnerships with Indigenous communities, 3) leading cutting-edge research that addresses increasingly complex global challenges, 4) transforming education to equip the next generation of civil engineers with innovative problem-solving and technical knowledge to thrive in a diversity of careers; and 5) delivering dynamic and integrated learning experiences that inspire students to become equitable and informed leaders who will advance the boundaries of engineering knowledge. 

As part of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, our Department benefits from collaboration across a distinctive constellation of disciplines, with expertise and academic programs in health, technology, design and communities at both the UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan campuses. The Faculty consists of four Schools: Nursing; Architecture and Landscape Architecture; Community and Regional Planning; and Biomedical Engineering (in partnership with Medicine); and six engineering departments: Chemical and Biological Engineering; Civil Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Materials Engineering; and Mining Engineering. The Faculty’s core purpose is to discovery, design, innovate, provide unwavering top-tier education, and champion a community of responsible and inclusive professionals. The Faculty’s Strategic Plan, Transforming Tomorrow, prioritizes transforming ourselves, so our scholarship and learning is better able to address the urgent challenges facing communities and cities, near and far.

Career Interruptions

UBC acknowledges that certain circumstances may cause career interruptions that legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like consideration given to the impact of any such circumstances due to health, family, or other legitimate reasons in order to allow for a fair assessment of their research productivity.

Dual Career Inquiries

UBC is committed to supporting candidates within a dual career household. Inquiries about spousal/partner employment may be directed to the Office of the Provost & Vice President Academic at viceprovost.avpaa@ubc.ca.

Commitment to Accessibility and Accommodations

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an accessible process for all candidates (including but not limited to disabled people). Confidential accommodations are available on request, please contact hiring@civil.ubc.ca.  To learn more about UBC’s Center for Workplace Accessibility, visit their website here.

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.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

We respectfully acknowledge that the UBC Vancouver-Point Grey academic campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and UBC operations in Vancouver more generally are also on the territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).