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

Job DetailsResponsibilities:

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 (15-page maximum)

Names and Contact Information for Three (3) References

Questions should be sent to the chair of the department, John Dwyer, John.Dwyer@Jefferson.edu.

The preferred submission deadline for materials is July 1, 2026.  The search will remain open until suitable candidates are identified

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Work ShiftWorkday Day (United States of America)

Worker Sub TypeRegular

Employee EntityPhiladelphia University

Primary Location Address3243 School House Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.    

Jefferson is committed to providing equal educa­tional and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, handicap or disability or any other protected group or status. 

Benefits

Jefferson offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time colleagues, including medical (including prescription), supplemental insurance, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, tuition assistance, as well as voluntary benefits, which provide colleagues with access to group rates on insurance and discounts. Colleagues have access to tuition discounts at Thomas Jefferson University after one year of full time service or two years of part time service. All colleagues, including those who work less than part-time (including per diem colleagues, adjunct faculty, and Jeff Temps), have access to medical (including prescription) insurance.

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