Unleash Your Potential With Us

As a next-generation public research institution, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you become an integral part of our mission to become a university for the future. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck.

The Opportunity

The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs (SPSIA) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure earning assistant professor anticipated to begin August 2024.

The ideal candidate will have a well-developed research agenda including work on security; clear indicators of promise as a teacher; the ability to teach courses on intelligence, including intelligence analysis; and the ability to contribute to the Security Studies Ph.D. program through teaching and supervision, including the ability to teach qualitative methods at the graduate level. Experience working in an intelligence agency or establishment may strengthen an application but is not required. The ideal candidate will also have a record of, or potential for, external research funding as appropriate for the discipline. We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute through their research, teaching and service to the diversity and excellence of our academic community and foster an environment in which faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive.

The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs is home to more than 1,300 undergraduate students, including a major track in intelligence and national security. Graduate programs include a master’s degree in political science and a vibrant Ph.D. in Security Studies. SPSIA also hosts several centers, including the federally funded Central Florida Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence. For more information, visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/politics/ .

The College of Sciences (COS) houses most of the university’s natural, computational, and social sciences in eight departments, two schools, and several centers. The college’s programs play a key role in advancing UCF as a national research university that is determined to help students from all backgrounds achieve success. For more information, visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/ .

UCF, located in Orlando, Florida, is classified as a Very High Research Activity university by the Carnegie Foundation. With a diverse student body of more than 68,000 students, UCF is one of the largest universities in the country. The university offers more than 240 degree programs. UCF is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution. For more information, visit http://www.ucf.edu .

Minimum Qualifications:

A doctorate in Political Science, Security Studies, International Affairs, or a closely related field from an accredited institution by time of hire is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• a promising research agenda in national/international security that reflects theoretical creativity and empirical sophistication;

• the ability to teach courses related to intelligence and security at the undergraduate and graduate levels; and

• the ability to contribute to the Security Studies Ph.D. program.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/.  In addition to the online application, interested candidates should attach the following materials: (1) a letter of interest, (2) a current CV, (3) a research statement, (4) a teaching statement (including, if available, evidence of teaching excellence), and (5) a list with the names and contact information for three professional references.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2023 and continue until the position is filled.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Tom Dolan, Search Committee Chair, at thomas.dolan@ucf.edu .

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

November 23, 2023

Are Benefits Important to You?

Working at UCF has its perks!  In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, UCF offers:

• Benefit packages including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, healthcare flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Paid time off, including annual and sick leave and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options.
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando area attractions.
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment.

And more…For more benefits information, go to ‘Prospective Employees’ on the UCF Human Resources website (https://hr.ucf.edu/ ).

Who Are We?

Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger , and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 240 degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete online programs leading to bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, Ph.D.'s., certificates, and more.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of higher education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to employment in research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty positions (including employed visiting positions), graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, postdoctoral scholar positions, and undergraduate positions.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at  http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.