Assistant or Associate Professor (Tenure Track) in Architectural Design

The School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University (CM–A) invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Architectural Design.

Building on its legacy in building performance, urbanism and computation, the school addresses three imminent challenges facing society. These challenges serve as catalysts for rethinking integrative design and professional practice, driving a transformation of the discipline. We seek candidates whose research and teaching critically mobilize architectural design and construction methods in response to material, environmental and economic issues — emphasizing innovative approaches that address the complex demands of a changing world. We welcome candidates with wide-ranging professional backgrounds whose expertise reflects and serves the breadth of our student body.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will articulate their potential to contribute to CM–A’s architectural education through their teaching and service, and to develop a research/creative practice agenda with the potential to expand the discipline.

Teaching: The role will involve teaching and coordinating design studios and core curricular courses for the NAAB-accredited B.Arch and M.Arch programs, including courses related to the candidate's core research. 

Framed by the school’s core pedagogical commitments to addressing urgent societal challenges, the candidate’s teaching will center on architectural design with an emphasis on comprehensive design, building practices, and methods. Areas of focus may include integrative design strategies, building systems coordination, construction methods, material assembly and disassembly, high-performance technologies, facade and envelope design, performance simulation, and the regulatory frameworks essential to an ethical professional practice. These topics connect across three curricular domains: environmental systems and building performance, material and fabrication traditions and innovation, and professional practice.

Creative Practice, Research and Scholarship: We welcome candidates who can articulate a creative practice, research and/or scholarship agenda that advances architectural discourse and fosters innovation in the profession.

We especially welcome work that addresses intersecting global issues by advancing creative approaches to systems integration and building performance, fabrication and construction, and/or material circularity and resilience, and drawing on a range of cultural contexts, including vernacular and pluriversal traditions. Candidates may also engage policy, planning, and community engagement centered on just transitions. 

Service & Mentoring: Candidates are expected to contribute to the school’s service responsibilities, including academic governance, curriculum development, student advising, and committee participation. We value service that demonstrates leadership in community or professional contexts.

About the School and Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon, home to 10 colleges, is a top-tier, internationally recognized research university that ranks among the world's most renowned educational institutions. Carnegie Mellon Architecture is one of the United States’ top-ranked architecture programs, with a student body totaling 450 undergraduate and graduate students. It is situated within Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts, alongside the Schools of Art, Design, Drama and Music. Embedded within one of the world’s foremost technical research institutions, the school offers a wide range of transdisciplinary educational and research opportunities, intensified by a university culture of research excellence, interdisciplinary exploration, and creative inquiry. The three graduate research focus areas within the school contribute to its mission of cultivating architectural and design excellence through rigorous training in fundamentals and the development of unique, multidisciplinary expertise that draws from engineering, the sciences, and the humanities. More information about Carnegie Mellon Architecture can be found on our website at architecture.cmu.edu.

CMU is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home to universities and world-class healthcare, arts, and cultural institutions. Pittsburgh has become increasingly recognized as a hub of tech-based business and livability. 

Salary at CMU will be based on education, experience and relevant skills, as well as the discipline of the home school. Faculty pay ranges are for 9 months' salary unless otherwise specified.

Qualifications 

It is anticipated that candidates will demonstrate qualifications relative to the following:

• Graduate (professional, post-professional, terminal or equivalent) degree in Architecture. 
• Experience teaching integrative or comprehensive architectural design or project-based practice. Five or more years of experience is preferred.
• Five or more years of experience in professional practice is preferred. We welcome candidates with substantial professional experience (5+ years) seeking to transition into teaching while maintaining creative practice. 
• Record of research and scholarship preferred. For appointment at the Associate Professor level, candidates should demonstrate an established research record, including publications, grants, or other achievements that indicate national or international recognition. 

Carnegie Mellon encourages applicants who will contribute through their research, teaching and service. Carnegie Mellon seeks to meet the needs of dual-career couples and is a member of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) that assists with dual-career searches.

Application Instructions 

To apply, complete the online application form at https://apply.interfolio.com/176283 and submit the following materials:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in the position and offering an overview of your research, scholarship, and teaching experience.
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Creative practice and/or research statement
• Teaching statement and statement about how you will advance student success.
• Portfolio of research and/or creative design practice, including examples of student work. Please clearly describe your role/responsibility in the work. (max 25 MB)
• Contact information for three references, including name, position, employer, email address, and phone number.

The application deadline is January 5, 2026. Online interviews with shortlisted applicants will be scheduled for January 2026 with campus visits scheduled in February. The school expects to extend a job offer in March and complete the hire by May 2026, with employment expected to begin in August 2026.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement 

Carnegie Mellon University is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition, family status, marital status, parental status, religion, ancestry, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws or executive orders.