What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Professor, Music Technology position at Virginia Tech?
Job Description
The Assistant Professor of Music Technology will serve as a full-time, tenure-track faculty member housed in the Music program in the School of Performing Arts within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD).
The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and, as appropriate, graduate courses with an emphasis on engineering technology for applications in music and audio, including topics such as audio signal processing, human-computer interaction, user interface design, embedded and real-time systems, software development, measurement and analysis, and spatial audio. The ideal candidate will lead the development of new courses and learning experiences in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for audio and music platforms. The faculty member will maintain an active research and/or creative agenda commensurate with tenure expectations, mentor students, contribute to recruitment and outreach, and collaborate across AAD and with campus partners such as the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).
Virginia Tech’s Music Technology area is growing and features advanced studio and lab resources supporting spatial audio (e.g., 7.1.4 Atmos-capable monitoring, 24.2 Dante), critical listening, acoustics, and project-based learning. The program offers multiple degree pathways and hands-on experiences, providing the environment for engineering-forward pedagogy and research that bridges the arts and technology.
Specific Duties And Responsibilities Of The Position Include
Teaching : Offer courses across the music-technology curriculum with emphasis on engineering technology. Supervise capstones, applied research, and technical practicums.
AI/ML Curriculum Leadership : Lead the design and delivery of courses in artificial intelligence and machine learning for audio and music platforms (e.g., MIR, machine listening, deep learning for audio, dataset curation/ethics, responsible generative practices) and integrate AI across the curriculum.
Research & Creative Activity : Sustain a nationally visible research/creative agenda in music engineering technology; disseminate through peer-reviewed publications, performances/installations, releases, software/hardware artifacts, and grant-seeking.
Facilities & Technical Operations : Contribute to the supervision and maintenance of music-technology facilities (studios and labs), including equipment specification, lifecycle planning, calibration, and student technical training aligned with best practices in safety and accessibility.
Student Mentorship & Advising : Advise majors/minors; supervise undergraduate research and internships; mentor students toward career-centered outcomes in engineering technology for music.
Recruitment & Outreach : Support recruitment and portfolio/audition processes; engage in outreach with schools, industry partners, and professional societies (e.g., AES).
Service & Collaboration : Serve on School/College/University committees; collaborate across AAD—particularly with Architecture and Design colleagues on projects in acoustics, auralization, and spatial audio—and with campus partners such as ICAT.
About The School Of Performing Arts
The School of Performing Arts (SOPA) joins the School of Architecture, School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts in comprising the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD), which launched in July 2022. SOPA offers programs in music, theatre, and cinema at the graduate and undergraduate level. Programs are delivered in Virginia Tech’s Creativity and Innovation District, which concentrates 11 performance spaces within a three-block area on the Blacksburg campus. Performance venues range from the 1,300-seat Moss Arts Center to a 101-seat experimental theatre. For more information about the music program and School of Performing Arts, visit sopa.vt.edu.
Required Qualifications
Terminal degree by start date: Ph.D. in Music Technology or a related field (e.g., Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Acoustics), or D.M.A., M.F.A, or other terminal degree with demonstrated expertise in music engineering technology.
Active research and/or creative practice that aligns with music engineering technology.
Commitment to academic excellence and the ability to work effectively with learners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
Preferred Qualifications
Excellence in teaching foundational and advanced topics in music technology with an engineering emphasis.
Experience in curriculum and program development related to music technology.
Certified proficiency with professional toolchains and languages.
Experience with incorporating AI and/or Machine Learning into music applications.
Experience with acoustics and spatial audio.
Experience overseeing studios/labs and coordinating student technical crews for concerts/recitals, with an emphasis on systems maintenance, safety, and best practices.
Experience collaborating across arts-and-engineering contexts.
Materials Submission
For Full Consideration, Interested Applicants Are To Submit
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Regular
Salary Information
Salary range is $70,000 - $90,000 per year
Hours per week
40
Review Date
January 5, 2026 - Review of submissions will commence on this date and continue until position is filled
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated 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.
Virginia 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.
Virginia 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.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Julie Weaver at juliew19@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
The Assistant Professor of Music Technology will serve as a full-time, tenure-track faculty member housed in the Music program in the School of Performing Arts within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD).
The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and, as appropriate, graduate courses with an emphasis on engineering technology for applications in music and audio, including topics such as audio signal processing, human-computer interaction, user interface design, embedded and real-time systems, software development, measurement and analysis, and spatial audio. The ideal candidate will lead the development of new courses and learning experiences in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for audio and music platforms. The faculty member will maintain an active research and/or creative agenda commensurate with tenure expectations, mentor students, contribute to recruitment and outreach, and collaborate across AAD and with campus partners such as the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).
Virginia Tech’s Music Technology area is growing and features advanced studio and lab resources supporting spatial audio (e.g., 7.1.4 Atmos-capable monitoring, 24.2 Dante), critical listening, acoustics, and project-based learning. The program offers multiple degree pathways and hands-on experiences, providing the environment for engineering-forward pedagogy and research that bridges the arts and technology.
Specific Duties And Responsibilities Of The Position Include
Teaching : Offer courses across the music-technology curriculum with emphasis on engineering technology. Supervise capstones, applied research, and technical practicums.
AI/ML Curriculum Leadership : Lead the design and delivery of courses in artificial intelligence and machine learning for audio and music platforms (e.g., MIR, machine listening, deep learning for audio, dataset curation/ethics, responsible generative practices) and integrate AI across the curriculum.
Research & Creative Activity : Sustain a nationally visible research/creative agenda in music engineering technology; disseminate through peer-reviewed publications, performances/installations, releases, software/hardware artifacts, and grant-seeking.
Facilities & Technical Operations : Contribute to the supervision and maintenance of music-technology facilities (studios and labs), including equipment specification, lifecycle planning, calibration, and student technical training aligned with best practices in safety and accessibility.
Student Mentorship & Advising : Advise majors/minors; supervise undergraduate research and internships; mentor students toward career-centered outcomes in engineering technology for music.
Recruitment & Outreach : Support recruitment and portfolio/audition processes; engage in outreach with schools, industry partners, and professional societies (e.g., AES).
Service & Collaboration : Serve on School/College/University committees; collaborate across AAD—particularly with Architecture and Design colleagues on projects in acoustics, auralization, and spatial audio—and with campus partners such as ICAT.
About The School Of Performing Arts
The School of Performing Arts (SOPA) joins the School of Architecture, School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts in comprising the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD), which launched in July 2022. SOPA offers programs in music, theatre, and cinema at the graduate and undergraduate level. Programs are delivered in Virginia Tech’s Creativity and Innovation District, which concentrates 11 performance spaces within a three-block area on the Blacksburg campus. Performance venues range from the 1,300-seat Moss Arts Center to a 101-seat experimental theatre. For more information about the music program and School of Performing Arts, visit sopa.vt.edu.
Required Qualifications
Terminal degree by start date: Ph.D. in Music Technology or a related field (e.g., Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Acoustics), or D.M.A., M.F.A, or other terminal degree with demonstrated expertise in music engineering technology.
Active research and/or creative practice that aligns with music engineering technology.
Commitment to academic excellence and the ability to work effectively with learners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
Preferred Qualifications
Excellence in teaching foundational and advanced topics in music technology with an engineering emphasis.
Experience in curriculum and program development related to music technology.
Certified proficiency with professional toolchains and languages.
Experience with incorporating AI and/or Machine Learning into music applications.
Experience with acoustics and spatial audio.
Experience overseeing studios/labs and coordinating student technical crews for concerts/recitals, with an emphasis on systems maintenance, safety, and best practices.
Experience collaborating across arts-and-engineering contexts.
Materials Submission
For Full Consideration, Interested Applicants Are To Submit
- Cover letter addressing qualifications and a vision for an engineering-forward, AI-infused music-technology curriculum within the framework of a comprehensive music program.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Teaching statement (maximum 2 pages) and optional supporting evidence (syllabi, sample assignments, student work).
- Research/creative statement (maximum 2 pages).
- Names and contact information for three references.
- A one-page personal statement of teaching philosophy including the candidate's ideas for supporting an educational environment consistent with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community .
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Regular
Salary Information
Salary range is $70,000 - $90,000 per year
Hours per week
40
Review Date
January 5, 2026 - Review of submissions will commence on this date and continue until position is filled
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated 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.
Virginia 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.
Virginia 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.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Julie Weaver at juliew19@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Salary : $70,000 - $90,000
