Assistant or Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs

Position description

The Department of Political Science and the School of Policy and International Affairs (SPIA) at the University of Maine are seeking qualified candidates to fill two full-time, tenure-track, academic-year faculty positions in International Relations and Comparative Politics at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, anticipated to start September 1, 2025. The first of these positions is a 50/50 joint appointment in Political Science and SPIA with a tenure home in Political Science. The second position is a 60/40 joint appointment in SPIA and Political Science with a tenure home in Political Science and entails an initial five-year appointment as the Dan ’63 and Betty Churchill Professorship in Climate Policy and International Affairs. One position may be filled at the rank of associate professor. The area of specialization is open. The Churchill Professor must have expertise in climate change policy.

These positions have teaching, research, and service duties. The typical teaching assignment for both positions is five courses per year. For the first position the teaching assignment will alternate yearly between three introductory or upper-level undergraduate courses and two courses at the master’s level, and two introductory or upper-level undergraduate courses and three courses at the master’s level. For the second position (Churchill Professorship) the annual teaching assignment will be two introductory or upper-level undergraduate courses and three courses at the master’s level. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Supervise internships and undergraduate and master's theses. 
• Advise students on their course of study and aid them in the registration process, which includes maintaining regular office hours. 
• Participate in curriculum development, assessment, and student recruitment.
• Maintain an active, productive research program in international relations and comparative politics.   The second position requires a focus on climate change policy. Pursuit of external funding to support research activities is encouraged. 
• Perform appropriate service, which may include, but is not limited to, active participation in the internal governance of the School of Policy and International Affairs and Department of Political Science, and service to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University communities. 

We are a faculty that values work-life balance and maintaining a productively collegial workplace. These are in-person, on-campus positions.

About the University:

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. 

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here.

Qualifications:
Required:

• Ph.D. in Political Science or closely related field by date of hire. 
• Specialization in international relations. 
• Evidence of ability to develop and teach courses in a variety of areas including introductory international relations, a graduate field seminar in international relations, and advanced topics related to the candidate’s other specialties. 
• Record of or demonstrated potential for success in university-level teaching.
• Record of or demonstrated potential for an active, productive research program.
• Appropriate methodological training and analytical skills. 
• For position 2 (Churchill Professorship) only: 
  • Specialization in international relations with a focus closely related to climate change policy.
  • Evidence of ability to develop and teach courses in advanced topics related to climate change.

Preferred:

• A proven record of international fieldwork, preferably in language(s) other than English is desired, but not required. 
• Ability to teach courses in comparative politics.
• Experience relevant to student mentoring, advising, and/or recruitment.
• Expertise in quantitative methods.
• Commitment to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. 

Application instructions

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