Summary
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This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applications accepted from current U.S. Citizens (either by birth or naturalization).
Duties
Major Duties of the Position:
Instructor (AD-21): Deliver structured undergraduate general-education instruction within the common curriculum under academic direction. Select and adapt approved instructional materials consistent with common course objectives, evaluate student performance, provide academic advising, maintain professional currency, and participate in assigned course-team, School, and Academy service.
Assistant Professor (AD-22): Deliver and assess undergraduate courses within the common curriculum and contribute to their planning and continuous improvement. Assume increasing course leadership and coordination responsibilities, such as serving as a Course Director. Maintain appropriate scholarly or professional engagement while contributing to course teams, School service, and interdisciplinary integration.
Associate Professor (AD-23): Provide sustained teaching excellence and lead major multi-section courses or significant curriculum components. Maintain sustained scholarly or professional engagement appropriate to the educational mission. Lead course-team and School-level curriculum and assessment efforts and actively mentor junior faculty.
Professor (AD-24 - Nonsupervisory): Provide distinguished instruction and senior academic leadership in the design, integration, and continuous improvement of the common curriculum. Maintain mature scholarly or professional engagement appropriate to the educational mission. Lead major School- and institution-level academic initiatives and mentor and develop faculty colleagues across academic areas.
The School of Integrated General Studies (SIGS) provides the common core academic education upon which later specialized disciplinary education builds. It forms cadets as Citizens, Leaders, Warfighters, and Scholars. The SIGS curriculum integrates civics, humanities, arts, and social sciences (CHASS), STEM and Artificial Intelligence, and Warfighting threads. Faculty work across conventional disciplinary boundaries to build a rigorous, ordered, and mission-aligned general education for future Air Force and Space Force officers. The STEM and Artificial Intelligence thread provides the common technical formation every cadet needs before and alongside specialized study. It is deliberately general rather than introductory: not the opening course of several majors, but a common foundation in scientific, quantitative, computational, systems, and engineering judgment. Cadets repeatedly use estimation, measurement, modeling, experiment, design, test, computation, and data. AI is a longitudinal capability: cadets should understand enough first principles to use modern tools confidently and responsibly, validate outputs against mathematics, physical reality, and experiment, and retain responsibility for technical decisions. These are teaching-centered positions. SIGS seeks educators who combine technical depth with breadth; can move among theory, physical intuition, quantitative representation, computation, data, experiment, design, and test; and can connect first-principles understanding to contemporary AI-enabled practice. Faculty should help cadets reason about unfamiliar problems rather than merely complete a conventional introductory course in one discipline. Scholarly, technical, and professional activity supports this mission, but the paramount purpose of these positions is excellent undergraduate teaching and related service supporting the excellence and integration of the core curriculum.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- The selected candidate will be subject to a security investigation leading to successful completion of a background investigation with a favorable adjudication. The selectee's failure to meet this requirement will be grounds for termination.
- Essential qualities expected of every faculty member include the personal attributes of integrity, industry, cooperation, initiative, and breadth of intellectual interests.
- Master’s or Terminal Degree commensurate with academic rank sought.
- Salary will be set within the range shown based on individual qualifications and experience.
- You will be required to serve a 1-year trial period.
- As a condition of employment, male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information go to: http://www.sss.gov
- Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Successful candidates should demonstrate, at a level appropriate to the rank sought:
-Technical disciplinary expertise together with intellectual breadth beyond the candidate's principal specialization.
-Ability to teach technical general education rather than the introductory version of a specialist course, selecting content in service of transferable technical judgment.
-Ability to preserve first-principles understanding while developing confident, progressively sophisticated use of AI and contemporary scientific and engineering tools.
-Ability to connect theory to real systems through laboratories, experiment, design-build-test, modeling, computation, data, simulation, or comparable hands-on work.
-Knowledge of effective undergraduate teaching, course development, assessment, and academic standards, and ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly.
-Ability to connect technical knowledge to human, ethical, strategic, operational, and national-security questions and collaborate effectively while maintaining professional currency. Associate Professors and Professors should additionally demonstrate progressively greater academic leadership. Qualifications Across All Ranks Candidates must demonstrate appropriate academic or professional preparation, excellence or strong promise in undergraduate teaching, technical breadth beyond a narrow specialization, and ability to contribute to integrated technical general education.
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES:
Relevant fields may include artificial intelligence, computer or data science, machine learning, mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, systems engineering, operations research, cyber science, robotics or autonomous systems, modeling and simulation, STEM or engineering education, or another closely related field supporting STEM and Artificial Intelligence.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-Excellent undergraduate teaching, especially in general education, interdisciplinary STEM, or integrated technical settings.
-Experience with laboratory, experiment, design-build-test, systems integration, project-based learning, modeling, simulation, or test-and-evaluation education.
-Experience with contemporary AI-enabled scientific or engineering workflows, including AI-assisted coding or analysis, design exploration, optimization, digital engineering, autonomy, machine learning, or simulation.
-Multidisciplinary technical practice in industry, government, national laboratories, military organizations, or comparable applied settings.
-Course or program leadership, curriculum development, assessment, advising, mentorship, or interdisciplinary technical scholarship.
Inquiries about the position should be directed to the Dean, School of Integrated General Studies (SIGS), Dr. Mark N. Jensen, email: mark.jensen@afacademy.af.edu. Please do not email documents or completed applications to this address as they will not be considered.
Education
EDUCATION:
If selected, you will be requested to provide original copies of ALL OFFICIAL transcripts for degrees being pursued or obtained (or letter of degree completion if an OFFICIAL transcript is not available due to recent graduation) to support your educational claims as stated in your curriculum vitae. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a transcript to be considered OFFICIAL, it should be printed on university letterhead and the registrar's official seal/signature must appear on the transcript. Your transcripts must also reflect the degree awarded/conferred date. Transcripts labeled UNOFFICIAL will not be accepted.
Upon request, ensure you include ALL transcripts to support your educational claims as stated in your curriculum vitae (resume) even if not required for this position.
FOREIGN EDUCATION:
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the educational requirements. However, you must show proof that the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying in the form of an "official" statement of U.S. equivalency from a Department of Education approved (non-federal) agency (i.e. AICE, NACES), who will complete a U.S. Standard of Education Conversion.
Additional information
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required by PL 104-134 to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Svc are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.
Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temp and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position.
Temp and Term Appointments: If you are selected for a temp or term position in the excepted service, your appointment may be extended to the maximum period allowed by law without further competition.
Individuals who are eligible for Schedule A, 213.3102(u) appointments cannot be referred under the Air Force (AF) Selective Placement Program process for faculty positions. Schedule A applicants must apply via instructions in the "How to Apply" section and applications must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Late or incomplete application packages will not be considered.
USAFA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) and provides reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants with disabilities. The AF believes that diversity is essential to accomplishing its mission. The AF Academy highly values individuals who have a demonstrated ability to work successfully with and help develop individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. For the AF, diversity encompasses personal life experiences, geographic background, socioeconomic background, cultural knowledge, educational background, work background, language abilities, physical abilities, philosophical/spiritual perspectives, age, race, ethnicity, and gender. Please ensure your application package DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PHOTOGRAPHS. Applications submitted with any documents that include photographs will not be considered.
Applications submitted under this announcement will be considered ONLY for this vacancy.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order (EO)14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to EO14043, that req does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and restriction from the workplace.
Salary will be calculated based on years of experience, academic rank at which one is hired, and commensurate with average USAFA, regional, and national salaries for the disciplinary area.
You may receive a one-time taxable recruiting/relocation incentive if eligible and authorized.
Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.
If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to contribute to the teaching-centered, integrated mission of SIGS, including:
- Academic or professional preparation, technical expertise and breadth, and undergraduate teaching effectiveness.
- Ability to teach integrated technical general education rather than introductory specialist coursework.
- Ability to combine first-principles understanding with ambitious, responsible use of AI and contemporary technical tools.
- Experience with hands-on, laboratory, design-build-test, modeling, simulation, digital-engineering, or comparable applied technical education.
- Ability to connect STEM/AI with broader human, ethical, strategic, operational, warfighting, and national-security questions.
- Cadet mentorship, scholarly, technical or professional engagement, service, collaboration, and leadership appropriate to rank.
Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae or resume and a cover letter describing how they would contribute to integrated technical general education; combine first-principles understanding with progressive AI mastery; and connect theory, tools, systems, and operational consequence.
Starting September 27, 2025, USAJOBS began restricting all resumes to two pages in length.
The restriction does NOT apply to this position. Please upload your Resume/Curriculum Vitae using the
Other Documents - Curriculum Vitae option.
You are still required to provide a document in the Resume section to successfully submit your application. In the Resume section, please upload a document informing your Resume/Curriculum Vitae was submitted using Other Documents.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This position is
not in the competitive civil service and late applications from veterans do not apply.
Applicants will be assessed based on their teaching credentials, scholarship, service, and education.
Your application package (curriculum vitae / resume and cover letter) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully.
Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
Interested persons should submit a curriculum vitae and cover letter addressing how their qualifications meet the requirements of this announcement, including evidence of undergraduate teaching excellence; disciplinary depth and intellectual breadth; ability to teach meaningfully beyond a narrow specialization; ability to contribute to an integrated common curriculum; and sustained scholarly or professional engagement appropriate to the rank sought. Additional documents are required to complete your application package, please reference the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" section for more information.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
- Letter of application (cover letter)
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae: When applying, please submit your Resume/Curriculum Vitae using the Other Documents - Curriculum Vitae section on the Documents page due to the resume length restriction addressed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section above.
- Veterans' preference documents, if applicable (i.e. DD-214 or Proof of Service letter (if active duty military), SF-15, Veterans Affairs letter for federal employment)
It is highly desired that your cover letter and/or curriculum vitae address the following areas, as appropriate:
- Teaching and Educational Accomplishments: Undergraduate teaching experience and effectiveness; experience with general education, common curricula, interdisciplinary STEM, laboratory or experimental instruction, design-build-test, modeling and simulation, computation, data, systems integration, project-based learning, or AI-enabled technical education; teaching or educational awards; course leadership; curriculum development; assessment; advising; and mentorship.
- Scholarly and Professional Accomplishments: Scholarship, publications, professional practice, public or military service, consultations, curriculum development, relevant professional experience, and awards demonstrating sustained intellectual or professional engagement.
- Academic Leadership and Service: Course-team, program, institutional, or professional leadership and service, including contributions to collaborative curriculum development, faculty development, academic governance, and educational improvement.
Please also reference the "Required Qualifications" section for other documents desired by the hiring committee. Any supplemental documents intended for the hiring committee should be attached to the cover letter as a single file. Supplemental documents with large file sizes can be substituted with a link to comply with the 5MB maximum size of files submitted through this platform.
An incomplete package will result in non-consideration of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the date the announcement closes, 11/13/2026.
To begin the application process, click the Blue Apply Button at the top of the page to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- If you submit more than one Resume/Curriculum Vitae, only the most recent (latest) will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp.
- For qualification determination your Resume/Curriculum Vitae must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your Resume/Curriculum Vitae does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your Resume/Curriculum Vitae.
- Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy.
- Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume.
2. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
3. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date
*All close dates are 11:59 PM Eastern Time*. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
Next steps
- You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application.
- You will receive an email notification upon referral/non-referral.
- If you are determined to be ineligible, you will receive an email of non- referral and your application will receive no further consideration.
- If you are determined to be eligible, you will receive an email of referral and your application will be forwarded to the selection committee for further consideration.
- If referred to the selection committee, you will be notified when a selection or final disposition is made.
- Hard copy notifications will not be sent.
The USAFA Faculty Recruitment team will not have any updates while the applications are with the selection committee. If the selection committee has any questions or requires further documentation, they will contact applicants directly. We do not have the authority to disclose the hiring committees' information.
If selected, the following may be requested:
- OFFICIAL copies of your transcripts that also reflect the degree awarded/conferred date. For a transcript to be considered OFFICIAL, it should be printed on university letterhead and the registrar's seal/signature must appear on the transcript. You MUST provide original copies of ALL transcripts for degrees being pursued or obtained (or letter of degree completion if a transcript is not available due to recent graduation) to support your educational claims as stated in your curriculum vitae.
- Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities (e.g. Oxford) may be used to meet requirements, but applicants must obtain a statement of U.S. equivalency from a Department of Education approved (non-federal) credentialing agency (i.e. AICE, NACES), who will complete a U.S. Standard of Education Conversion for education completed in foreign colleges or universities.
- List of three professional references (to include name, complete mailing address, email, and phone number)