Visiting Assistant Professor in Architecture – Structural Design, College of Architecture, Design and Engineering (CADE), Thomas Jefferson University

Job Details

Responsibilities:

The Department of Architecture at Thomas Jefferson University, together with the College of Architecture, Design and Engineering (CADE), invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, Visiting Assistant Professor in structural design beginning in Fall 2026. This is a one-year appointment with the potential of renewal based on performance and departmental needs.

We seek a colleague who approaches structures as a fundamental design discipline within architecture — one that shapes space, form, material expression, environmental performance, and human experience. The successful candidate will be excited to teach structural systems not through an engineering lens, but as a critical phase in an architectural design process that enables architectural thinking and innovation. The candidate is expected to teach Structures 1 and Structures 2 courses offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

About the Position:

The primary responsibility for this position is teaching undergraduate and graduate architecture courses focused on structural systems and their relationship to architectural design. Courses introduce students to principles of primary structural systems, their materialities, and the integration of structural thinking into an architectural design process.

The department is particularly interested in candidates who can teach structures through:

Spatial and tectonic, iterative exploration
Precedent analysis
Computational Design
Integrative Design
Environmental and performance-based thinking

While technical competency is expected, this is not an engineering-focused position. We welcome applicants from architectural practice and architectural education who are interested in helping students understand structure as an expressive, conceptual, and performative component of architecture.

Job Description

Qualifications:
 

Required:
 

a combination of a professional bachelor’s and a master’s degree; or a terminal professional master’s degree; or a doctorate.

Degrees should be in Architecture or a closely related discipline. Foreign equivalents to U.S. degrees are acceptable. Uniquely qualified candidates without the minimum academic credentials – who hold a professional license in architecture, exemplify exceptional professional experience, and present widely-recognized professional work – will also be considered.

Demonstrated expertise in structural systems within architectural design

Teaching experience and/or significant professional experience relevant to the position

Strong communication and collaborative skills

Preferred:

Licensure in architecture

Experience teaching structures, building technology, or integrated design studios

Evidence of design excellence, professional practice, research, or built work

Interest in interdisciplinary and practice-based education

Experience integrating digital tools, fabrication, or visualization into teaching
 

About the Department of Architecture:

The Department of Architecture is founded on the belief that architecture has the power to improve lives by creating, activating, facilitating and substantiating innovative and inclusive design for all communities and environments. Faculty with diverse perspectives and backgrounds can foster an interdisciplinary academic experience that positions architecture at the dynamic center of social, cultural, historical, technological, and physical issues within our shared world. A commitment to design excellence, social equity and sustainability is evident throughout the curriculum and faculty research. We aim to equip graduates with the creativity, competence, compassion and conviction to be positive agents of change and stewards of the built environment.
 

Application Procedures:
 

A portfolio of scholarly inquiry and/or outstanding design work is required, and a trajectory of critical inquiry aligned with the program’s design approach and core values is highly desired. Candidates should have demonstrated successful collaboration and innovation in teaching or practice and must be qualified by education and experience to teach at the undergraduate and graduate level.
 

Candidates must apply on-line at https://hr.jefferson.edu/careers.html using Job ID # REQ-0030650
 

Candidates must also submit the following via email to Ms. Melissa Raffel:  melissa.raffel@jefferson.edu

Letter of Application: We request a statement that provides an overview of the candidate’s interest in the position relative to their experience and goals.

Curriculum Vitae

Portfolio of Teaching, Research and/or Professional Work (1