Assistant Associate Full Professor - College of Engineering - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Embodied, wearable & assistive AI Physical - Boston

About the Opportunity

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Our locations—in Arlington; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Miami; New York City; Oakland; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research.

Northeastern’s comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

Northeastern University’s College of Engineering is a globally recognized leader in engineering education and research, distinguished by its interdisciplinary culture, strong industry partnerships, and commitment to translating fundamental discoveries into real-world impact. Located in Boston and supported by a global network of campuses and partners, the College brings together researchers across computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, materials, biotechnology, and other emerging fields.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Northeastern University is a dynamic and rapidly growing academic community at the forefront of research and education in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and emerging computing technologies. The department brings together faculty with expertise spanning computer architecture and systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, embedded and cyber-physical systems, communications and networking, signal processing, semiconductor and VLSI design, quantum computing, and emerging hardware technologies.

Located in Boston, within one of the world’s leading technology and innovation ecosystems, Northeastern ECE offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, computer science, robotics, materials science, and the physical sciences. The department’s research is strongly connected to real-world applications through partnerships with industry, government, and leading research institutions, while Northeastern’s distinctive experiential-learning and cooperative education programs provide students with opportunities to connect classroom learning with cutting-edge engineering practice.

About the Opportunity

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University is seeking outstanding candidates for Tenure-Track Faculty at the Assistant/Associate/Full Professor levels to strengthen the interdisciplinary thematic area of physical AI, embodied, wearable and assistive AI, described more broadly below.  Candidates with expertise in AI, machine learning, multi-modal sensing and learning, computer vision, embodied AI, human-centric AI, explainable and interpretable AI, trustworthy AI, AI on edge devices, physical intelligence, neuro-symbolic AI, AI reasoning are examples of areas that fit this theme.

The university-wide Physical AI, Robotics & Autonomous Systems main theme brings together researchers working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the physical world to build systems that sense, reason, and act within real-world environments. This theme spans intelligent infrastructure and adaptive construction and manufacturing systems using digital twins and multi-agent controls; embodied and wearable AI systems that bridge HCI/design with rehabilitation and safe human-robot collaboration in clinical, home, community, and informal settings designed to support and empower the people they work alongside; automated self-driving laboratories that pair hardware instrumentation with active-learning machine learning to accelerate chemistry, materials, and biomanufacturing experimentation; AI-mediated telepresence enabling immersive, distance-spanning connection for shared environments to support creative collaboration; and telemedicine and physical AI systems for health that use autonomous modeling, monitoring, and digital-twin technologies to support translational and implementation health science. Spanning Boston and Charlotte, the theme draws on cross-college collaboration among COE (College of Engineering), CAMD (College of Arts, Media and Design), COS (College of Science), Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, together with Northeastern’s interdisciplinary ecosystem.  The theme is further strengthened by Northeastern's recently launched Physical AI Research (PAIR) Initiative, which advances the foundational science of Physical AI and fosters collaborations across strategic application domains, and by the Institute for Experiential Robotics (IER).

Appointment will be primarily or fully in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) within Northeastern University’s College of Engineering, with opportunities for joint cross-college appointments with the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the College of Arts, Media and Design, or the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. The position will be based on Northeastern University’s Boston campus.

Candidates with interest in joint appointments with other departments or colleges should indicate their intent in their application materials in the cover letter.

Our tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. Hires will be mentored for success, with mentoring teams and group guidance. In addition, a strong and effective faculty development strategy is part of the Northeastern institutional mission. The ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development office works in conjunction with the Office of Research Development (ORD), the Office of Belonging, the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and University Decision Support (UDS) to provide programs and trainings to further develop and support a thriving faculty.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, lead an independent and externally funded research program, and participate in departmental, college, and university service. Qualified candidates must be prepared to work with global student populations.

Qualifications

A Ph.D., or foreign equivalent, in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or closely related fields  by the employment start date.

Senior-level candidates at the Associate and Full Professor levels should have a demonstrated record of developing transformative solutions to global challenges, sustaining a research program with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and translational research, teaching both undergraduate and graduate classes, and being an active, recognized leader nationally and internationally in their discipline.

Applicants at the Associate level should have at least 4 years of academic or equivalent experience (e.g., industry, research) and at the Full Professor level at least 8 years or equivalent experience (e.g., industry, research).

How to apply: Interested candidates should apply using the Northeastern University website. Applications must include the following, for further information on the statements, please see below.

• Cover letter – may identify a department of interest for a joint appointment within the College of Engineering or other colleges
• Full curriculum vita that includes a list of publications
• Statement of Research Interests, Objectives & Vision