Assistant Professor of Sociology

The Department of Sociology is a small, collegial, multidisciplinary department that offers undergraduate majors in Sociology and Criminal Justice. The Department is committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and community engagement and provides students with a collaborative, student-centered learning environment. The Criminal Justice major is a new and rapidly growing program, creating exciting opportunities for faculty to contribute to its continued development while supporting the department’s long-standing Sociology program. Learn more about the department at: https://umaine.edu/las/sociology-criminaljustice/ 

About the Position: The tenure-track Assistant Professor position strengthens the Department of Sociology’s instructional, research, and public engagement capacity while supporting the continued growth of the Criminal Justice and Sociology majors. The successful candidate will contribute to the department’s teaching, research, and enrollment goals through excellent undergraduate instruction, an active research agenda, and engagement with students, colleagues, and community partners. The position will strengthen the department’s core instructional and research capacity, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and advance the strategic priorities of the department, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University of Maine.

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

• Teaching: Teach undergraduate courses in criminal justice and sociology consistent with departmental needs (3-2 load); develop and maintain high-quality instructional materials; assess student learning; and advise and mentor undergraduate students in their academic, career, and research pursuits.
• Research: Maintain an active program of scholarly research leading to peer-reviewed publications and other scholarly contributions consistent with departmental expectations for tenure and promotion. Pursue opportunities for external funding and engage undergraduate students in research when appropriate.
• Service: Contribute to the mission of the department, college, and university through service on committees and participation in shared governance. Support the department’s goals through program development and assessment, and engagement with professional and community partners.

The hiring range for this position is $64,711 to $67,500 commensurate with qualifications and experience. At this time, the Department is not able to consider applicants who require Visa sponsorship support.
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 to learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer.
Qualifications:
Required:

• Ph.D. or advanced ABD (degree conferral will be required before position start date). 
• Specialization in criminal justice, criminology, or sociology with a strong background in the study of crime, law, and justice.
• Experience and demonstrated ability in undergraduate teaching in areas of candidate’s specialization.
• Evidence of an active research agenda with strong promise of scholarly productivity, including peer-reviewed publications, related to criminal justice, law and society, and/or criminology.
• Evidence of ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary department.

Preferred:

• Expertise in restorative justice, race/ethnicity, or criminal justice institutions and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, peer reviewed publications.
• Demonstrated ability to seek and/or obtain extramural funding for research.
• Commitment to public/engaged scholarship.
• Experience collaborating on research projects with undergraduate students.
   

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

Candidates selected to proceed to the final stages of the search process will be requested to provide teaching evaluations and 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 September 30, 2026.

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Michael Haedicke at [email protected].
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.