Assistant or Associate Professor of Precision Ag Automation Engineering (PhD required) South Dakota State University in United States

South Dakota State University is recruiting an Assistant or Associate Professor of Precision Ag Automation Engineering in the Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering.

This is a tenure-track, full-time, 9-month faculty position with a balanced appointment of 40% research, 40% extension, and 20% teaching. The successful candidate will help advance precision agriculture, agricultural mechanization, farm automation, agricultural robotics, UAVs, agricultural sensors, phenotyping robots, AI-driven imaging, and data-driven decision support for agricultural and food systems.

The role includes building a nationally recognized and extramurally funded research program, leading extension programming for producers, and teaching undergraduate courses in SDSU’s Precision Agriculture program. The extension component emphasizes data quality, farm-system integration, consumer-available AI tools, and precision ag tools that improve ROI in plant and animal systems.

Eligibility highlights: a PhD in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related terminal degree by the date of appointment; ability or potential to secure extramural funding; ability or potential for classroom teaching; effective communication skills; and a record of scholarly activity. Associate Professor candidates should demonstrate high-impact research, extension, and/or professional experience aligned with the position.

Funding and benefits: minimum salary of $90,000 at Assistant Professor rank, commensurate with experience, plus comprehensive benefits, a 6% retirement match, relocation assistance, and reduced tuition for state-supported courses.

Application deadline: 2026-06-15. Apply online via the South Dakota Board of Regents employment portal and submit the requested application materials, including cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching statement, extension statement, and references.

Search committee contact: Dr. Pappu Yadav, [email protected].