Assistant/Associate Professor in the Arts and Unconventional Computing

About the Opportunity

The College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD) at Northeastern University invites applications for a tenured/tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant or Associate level in the Arts and Unconventional Computing, to be located at the Boston campus. We are particularly interested in candidates at the intersection of the arts and quantum computing qualified for a joint appointment between the College of Arts, Media and Design (in Art + Design) and the College of Science (in Mathematics or Physics). There is also potential for collaboration with Northeastern’s Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute (QMSI).

We are seeking an artist-researcher to join our faculty and help shape the emerging field of unconventional computing. This position has a particular focus on quantum computing but also encompasses physical AI, analog, neuromorphic, biological, and chemical computing. The position also covers the unique modalities and affordances of these types of computing for visualization and sensory experience. This tenured/tenure-track position invites a creative experimentalist who is theoretically grounded and unafraid to challenge assumptions about computing and data exploration. The successful candidate will approach these emerging computational paradigms as media for artistic expression and critical inquiry, not merely as tools or infrastructures. The ideal candidate will teach core courses in our art and design programs as well as contribute to interdisciplinary curricular initiatives.

Our tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. Hires will be mentored for success with individualized 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) and the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR) to provide programs and trainings to further develop and support a thriving faculty.

The College is seeking to give excellent candidates across all demographics of society the opportunity, resources, and support to establish innovative and impactful research careers. This includes candidates at the earliest stages of their careers as well as those who are more established. For selected candidates, there may be an option of a 1- to 2-year CAMD funded, mentored post-doc Fellow position, to allow candidates to ramp up their research programs before starting on the tenure track.

Responsibilities will include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including courses in our interdisciplinary programs; mentoring students at undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels; maintaining a strong program of interdisciplinary research that attracts external funding and/or recognition; and participating in departmental, college and university service. Qualified candidates must be prepared to work with global student populations.

The successful candidate will have a PhD or other terminal degree in an arts, science, or interdisciplinary field such as Media Art, Data Visualization, Quantum Information Science, Biodesign, Physics, or a related field by the employment start date; and demonstrated potential to attract external funding for research and/or creative practice.

Interested candidates should apply here with a curriculum vita that includes a list of publications, a cover letter, and statements addressing the prompts below. Applications will be reviewed beginning on January 5, 2026.

Successful faculty at Northeastern are dynamic and innovative scholars with a record of research and teaching excellence and a commitment to fostering belonging in the university community. Thus, strong candidates for this faculty position will have the experiences, knowledge, and skills to build their research, pedagogy, and curriculum in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment. Please indicate how your experience, knowledge, and skills have prepared you to contribute to this work with written statements addressing the following prompts:

Research statement:

Please describe the focus of your research, including the questions you have identified, the funding you have received to support the work (if applicable), the results you have discovered, and the products of these efforts. Please also describe any research you have undertaken with students and/or with the external community. Finally, please outline the research directions you foresee pursuing in the College of Arts, Media and Design.

Teaching statement:

Please summarize your past instructional and mentorship experiences, your pedagogical philosophy, your plans/goals for teaching in the College of Arts, Media and Design (including existing and proposed courses), and your strategies for teaching and mentoring global student populations.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by the law.

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 Boston; Arlington, Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; London; Portland, Maine; Oakland; San Francisco; 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.

The College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD) is a collaborative community within the university that acts as a catalyst for research, inspiration, and discovery. It brings together a unique combination of disciplines, including Architecture, Art+Design, Communication Studies, Journalism, Media and Screen Studies, Music, and Theatre. CAMD is also home to three interdisciplinary research centers: the Center for the Arts, the Center for Design, and the Center for Transformative Media. 

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Pay Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.