{"id":3157353,"url":"https://alion.io/job/virginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication","title":"Assistant/Associate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication","company":{"id":35633,"name":"Virginia Tech","domain":"vt.edu","url":"https://alion.io/company/virginia-tech-news","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"PageUp","truth_index":null},"role":"Education","role_family":"Education","seniority":null,"employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Blacksburg, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":75000,"max":82000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":82000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-15T14:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-23","last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T20:26:49Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":21,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":21},"description":"Job Description\nVirginia Tech’s Department of English invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication. This position reflects Virginia Tech's strategic commitment to understanding not only how technologies are developed, but how they are implemented, communicated, trusted, and integrated into organizations and communities, with a particular focus on healthcare. We seek an innovative scholar whose work advances the future of technical and scientific communication in an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence, automation, immersive technologies, and complex sociotechnical systems. We seek a scholar whose research and teaching examine how communication shapes the design, implementation, and use of emerging technologies in professional, organizational, scientific, technical, or healthcare environments.\nThis position is associated with Virginia Tech’s Smart Healthcare Hub initiative (smarthealthcare.icat.vt.edu) and will contribute to the growth of interdisciplinary research, innovation, and teaching at the intersection of emerging technologies, healthcare-related simulations, digital and/or medical humanities, experience design, operations, and human-centered systems. The successful candidate will join a highly multidisciplinary and collaborative environment that values innovation, experiential learning, translational research, and community engagement. The successful candidate will contribute to Virginia Tech's internationally recognized Technical and Scientific Communication program as a member of the Department of English while engaging in interdisciplinary research collaborations across the university.\nGiven the expectation that the position will involve high research productivity and pursuit of research funding as part of the Smart Healthcare Hub initiative, the position will begin with a teaching assignment of two courses per academic year (one in fall and one in spring) that includes teaching in the Department of English’s undergraduate Technical and Scientific Communication and the doctoral Rhetoric and Writing programs. After three years, the teaching assignment is expected to increase to the department’s typical teaching assignment for tenure-track and tenured faculty of four courses each academic year (two in fall and two in spring).\nPosition Overview\nThe ideal candidate for this position will help define the future of the discipline by advancing research that improves communication across complex technical, scientific, healthcare, governmental, or industrial contexts.\nWe welcome applicants whose scholarship addresses one or more areas including, but not limited to:\nEthics of emerging technologies\nRhetoric of science, technology, and medicine\nDigital and/or medical humanities\nHuman-centered design\nTechnical communication and artificial intelligence\nAccessibility and inclusive design\nScience writing\nThe department particularly values scholars whose work bridges traditional disciplinary boundaries and who are skilled at collaborating with researchers across engineering, computer science, health sciences, business, public policy, and the humanities. We seek an individual that has expertise in applying their work within the healthcare sector.\nResponsibilities\nThe successful candidate will maintain an active, externally visible research program, including work associated with the Smart Healthcare Hub’s focus; contribute to undergraduate and graduate education; mentor students; and participate in departmental, college, and university service.\nPrimary responsibilities include:\nResearch\nDevelop and sustain a nationally recognized program of scholarship in technical and scientific communication.\nPublish in leading journals and present research at national and international conferences.\nPursue externally funded research opportunities and contribute to collaborative external funding proposals.\nBuild interdisciplinary collaborations across Virginia Tech and with external partners.\nMentor graduate and undergraduate student researchers.\nTeaching\nTeach undergraduate and graduate courses in technical and scientific communication and rhetoric, including foundational and advanced courses that may include grant writing; medical and science writing; the rhetoric of science, technology, and medicine; document design; visual rhetoric; and/or digital rhetoric. Faculty are encouraged to develop new courses aligned with their expertise and emerging areas of the discipline.\nService\nThe successful candidate will contribute to the continued growth of Virginia Tech's nationally recognized Technical and Scientific Communication program through curriculum development, student mentoring, program leadership, and university service while participating in national professional organizations.\nCollaborative Opportunities\nVirginia Tech offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will have opportunities to engage with faculty across the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Science, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Pamplin College of Business, and numerous university-wide research institutes and centers such as the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and the Whole Health Consortium.\nHow to Apply\nScreening of applications will begin November 15, 2026. For full consideration, all materials must be submitted prior to this date. Please submit:\nA CV\nA Cover Letter\nA detailed statement detailing teaching/mentoring philosophy\nA detailed statement of research accomplishments and plans\nNames and contact information for 3 professional references; references will be contacted to upload letters of support to the application during the review process\nPlease direct questions to Dr. James D. Ivory, Search Committee Chair, at .\nRequired Qualifications\nPh.D. in Technical and Professional Communication, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Communication, English, Information Science, Human-Centered Computing, Science Communication, User Experience, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.\nDemonstrated potential for an active and impactful research agenda supported by extramural funding.\nEvidence of excellence or strong potential in undergraduate and graduate teaching.\nExcellent written and oral communication skills.\nDemonstrated commitment to inclusive teaching, mentoring, and collaboration.\nAbility to work effectively in interdisciplinary research environments.\nPreferred Qualifications\nPreference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:\nResearch addressing emerging technologies and communication.\nExpertise in human-centered design, user experience, or information design.\nResearch focused on healthcare, health technologies, public health, or implementation.\nEvidence of pursuing or securing external research funding.\nExperience mentoring graduate students.\nOvertime Status\nExempt: Not eligible for overtime\nAppointment Type\nRegular\nSalary Information\nCommensurate with Experience, as an Assistant Professor the range is $75,000 to $82,000 / as an Associate Professor the range is $83,000 to $92,000\nHours per week\n*\nReview Date\nNovember 15, 2026\nAdditional Information\nThe successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.\nAbout Virginia Tech\nDedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes.A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.\nVirginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.\nVirginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.\nIf you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Donna Eastwood at  during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.","description_format":"text","description_chars":9595,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":false}]},"benefits":["Professional development"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Higher Education"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-23T14:58:28Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":20,"expected_fill_days":77,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":82000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/virginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/virginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-05T22:51:28Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3847,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-06T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":35633},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=35633"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvirginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvirginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvirginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/virginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvirginia-tech-assistantassociate-professor-in-technical-and-scientific-communication"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3157353}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"vt.edu","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3157353},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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