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The University of Maine’s Department of Sociology seeks a dynamic, innovative scholar and teacher to join our small, collegial, undergraduate-only department at Maine’s flagship land, and sea, and space-grant institution. This is a tenure-track, academic-year position at the assistant professor level who will offer courses in the department’s new Criminal Justice major. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2026.

We invite applicants for a nine-month, tenure-track position as assistant professor with expertise in issues related to restorative justice, race/ethnicity, and the criminal justice system. Candidates should be able to teach courses in the criminal justice core curriculum, including Survey of Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, and Research Methods; as well as electives in criminal justice and criminology, such as Police and Society, Corrections, Criminal Courts, Race and Crime, and White-Collar Crime. Preference will be given to candidates able to teach Introduction to Sociology and Social Inequality. Quantitative expertise is strongly preferred. Our standard teaching load is 3-2. This is an in-person position.

Consistent with the department’s emphasis on public sociology and the university’s vision as a community engaged campus, the candidate will be a publicly engaged scholar. The candidate must demonstrate an interest in, and preferably successful experience in, collaborative interdisciplinary research, teaching, and grantsmanship.

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

+ Teach criminal justice courses at the undergraduate level, including core and special topics.

+ Advise and mentor students on academic progress, careers, and research opportunities.

+ Develop inclusive, effective instructional materials and assessments to support student learning.

+ Conduct and maintain an active program of scholarly research in criminal justice.

+ Seek opportunities for external funding and involve students in research when appropriate.

+ Contribute to departmental, college, and university committees and initiatives.

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. Visit the Maine Office of Tourism (https://themainehighlands.com/places-to-visit/greater-bangor-region/) to learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer.

Qualifications:

Required:

+ Ph.D. required by date of hire.

+ Specialization in criminal justice/criminology or closely related field.

+ Expertise in issues related to restorative justice and race/ethnicity.

+ Demonstrated ability to deliver successful courses at the undergraduate level with expertise appropriate to teaching courses as listed above.

+ Evidence of ability to develop and pursue a productive research agenda, including peer-reviewed publications, in the candidate’s area of expertise.

+ Demonstrated commitment to public/engaged scholarship

+ Evidence of ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Preferred:

+ Ph.D. in Criminal Justice/Criminology preferred (candidates with a Ph.D. in Sociology with a strong background in criminology and criminal justice are encouraged to apply).

+ Demonstrated ability to seek and/or obtain extramural funding for research.

+ Experience collaborating on research projects with undergraduate students.

+ Experience and interest in interdisciplinary pedagogy that would support both the sociology and criminal justice/criminology majors.

Other Information:

To be considered for this position you will need to “Apply” and upload the documentation listed below:

1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position

2.) a resume/curriculum vitae

3.) 2-3 samples of scholarly work such as published articles and/or public sociology pieces

Candidates selected to proceed to the final stages of the search process will be requested to provide a list of names and contact information for references.

Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

For full consideration, materials must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. EST on December 1, 2025.

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Michael Haedicke at [email protected] or 207-581-2383.

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.

The University of Maine System (the System) is an equal opportunity institution committed to fostering a nondiscriminatory environment and complying with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. Consistent with State and Federal law, the System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran or military status in any aspect of its education, programs and activities, and employment. The System provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you believe you have experienced discrimination or harassment, you are encouraged to contact the System Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services at 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, Orono, ME 04469-5713, by calling 207.581.1226, or via TTY at 711 (Maine Relay System). For more information about Title IX or to file a complaint, please contact the UMS Title IX Coordinator at www.maine.edu/title-ix/.

Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, such as the University, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report, (ASR) and provide notice of the availability of the ASR to all prospective employees. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University’s crime statistics for the past three calendar years; and disclosures regarding the University’s current campus security policies. You may view the University’s Annual Security Report (https://umaine.edu/police/clery-annual-safety-report/) . If you wish to have a paper copy of the ASR or you need to have a copy of the ASR in an accessible format, the University will provide such a copy upon request. Please contact: UMaine Police Department, 81 Rangeley Rd., The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5794, or call 207.581.4053.