Assistant/Associate Professor of Computer Engineering College of Information Tech. -(CIT) Full-time

College of Information Tech. -(CIT) is hiring a Assistant/Associate Professor of Computer Engineering College of Information Tech. -(CIT) in Al Ain, UAE. This is a full-time position.

This faculty position at the College of Information Technology places you at the front line of one of the most Computer Engineering strategically important engineering disciplines in the UAE — autonomous systems and UAV technology. The role goes well beyond classroom instruction, requiring you to build a research program that directly engages with the country’s growing drone economy, smart mobility agenda, and defense-adjacent autonomous systems sector. You will work within a department actively expanding its real-world deployment research, meaning your work has a direct path from lab to application. Candidates who have moved autonomous systems from simulation into physical, validated environments will find this role particularly well matched to their profile.

Key Responsibilities for Assistant/Associate Professor of Computer Engineering College of Information Tech.

• Develop and deliver undergraduate and graduate courses covering UAV systems, autonomous navigation, robotics, and AI-driven control systems, with a curriculum grounded in current engineering practice.
• Establish and lead a research group focused on one or more priority areas including UAV guidance, navigation and control, multi-agent coordination, or robust and safe autonomy.
• Publish consistently in Q1-ranked journals and present at leading international conferences in robotics, autonomous systems, and UAV engineering.
• Write and secure competitive research grants from national funding bodies such as ASPIRE, ADEK, and relevant international agencies aligned with UAE autonomous systems priorities.
• Supervise MSc and PhD students from research proposal through to thesis defense, providing sustained mentorship across the full research lifecycle.
• Design and execute real-world validation experiments for autonomous systems, coordinating lab infrastructure, field testing, and safety protocols.
• Build and maintain partnerships with UAV manufacturers, aerospace firms, government regulators, and research centers both within the UAE and internationally.
• Contribute to departmental accreditation processes, curriculum committees, and faculty governance as required by CIT leadership.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related discipline from a recognized institution.
• Strong publication record in Q1 journals and/or top-tier venues such as ICRA, IROS, or equivalent conferences in UAV and autonomous systems research.
• Demonstrated experience securing competitive research funding as principal or co-investigator.
• Hands-on expertise in one or more technical areas: UAV GNC, autonomy stacks, multi-agent UAV systems, safe autonomy, or embedded systems for real-world robotic deployment.
• Proven teaching ability at undergraduate and graduate levels, with capacity to develop new course content in emerging engineering areas.
• Experience with real-world UAV deployment and system integration, including hardware-software co-design and field validation.
• Industrial or professional experience in aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems is a strong advantage.
• Must be available to join UAEU by Fall 2026.

What You’ll Gain

• Direct alignment with the UAE’s national autonomous systems agenda, giving your research immediate relevance to government-funded programs, regulatory bodies, and industry partners actively investing in UAV infrastructure.
• Access to CIT’s expanding research labs, including UAV testing facilities, embedded systems infrastructure, and a graduate research cohort growing across Computer and AI Engineering programs.
• A competitive, tax-free salary benchmarked at AED 25,000–40,000/month depending on rank and experience, in line with UAEU faculty compensation for Assistant and Associate Professors.
• A clear path to building your own research center or lab within CIT, supported by institutional grant-writing resources and UAEU’s established network of national and international academic partnerships.