Research Assistant Professor in Workforce Development

Job Description: The UTEP College of Education invites applications for a Research Assistant Professor (RAP) position in Workforce Development to help align community and industry workforce needs with College of Education research and programming.

Location: El Paso, TX

The position is funded by the UT System Regents Research Excellence Program and is a full‑time, non‑tenure track research faculty position with a three‑year appointment. It is research‑dedicated with no required teaching load; teaching opportunities may be available depending on interests, opportunities, and funding.

The College of Education is experiencing a period of growth and is expanding its research portfolio. As part of this growth, the RAP hire will play a critical role in advancing workforce development and strengthening the College’s impact in the community.

The College’s residency model is a nationally recognized workforce development approach. It is being extended beyond educator and counselor preparation to advance workforce readiness across multiple sectors.

Successful candidates will specialize in topics such as expanding regional opportunities through education‑to‑workforce pathways; STEM postsecondary and career pathways; workforce readiness in emerging sectors; education policies/practices that support workforce needs; community and industry‑engaged workforce research; and equity in workforce access, credentialing, and advancement.

• Develop a sustainable, externally funded research and programming agenda in workforce development.
• Secure research funding from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor, the National Science Foundation, and prominent education research foundations.
• Generate high‑impact research outputs, including peer‑reviewed journal articles tracked through metrics such as citation counts, journal impact factors, and h‑index.
• Participate in existing research‑practice partnerships, leveraging UTEP’s relationships with multiple school districts, and build on existing initiatives such as El Paso Computes: K‑12 Impact.
• Mentor and collaborate with students and faculty to advance the next generation of UTEP scholars and broaden research participation at UTEP.

• Demonstrated research and/or programming expertise relevant to education‑to‑workforce pathways, workforce development, or industry‑engaged workforce research.
• Evidence of peer‑reviewed publications or strong potential for scholarly productivity.
• Earned doctorate by August 2026.

• Experience with externally funded research or proposal development.
• Demonstrated success collaborating with school districts, workforce agencies, or industry/community partners.
• Proven ability to translate complex research goals into public value for industry partners.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee’s or prospective employee’s right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

For inquiries regarding the application of Title IX, contact the Title IX Coordinator at (915) 747‑8358, titleix, or 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, Kelly Hall, Room 312. For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP’s Equal Opportunity Office  the position involves research, work, or access to critical infrastructure, hire requires the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure.