Assistant Professor in Black Literatures and Cultures

The Department of English at Simon Fraser University invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Black Literatures and Cultures, starting as early as July 15, 2027. 

This opportunity is limited to applicants who self-identify as Black. Pursuant to section 42(3) of the Code, the University received approval from the British Columbia Human Rights Commissioner to limit recruitment and hiring for various faculty positions to those who self-identify as Black. Candidates are required to complete a self-identification survey as part of their application package by the deadline indicated in this job posting. By completing the survey, you will be supporting academic units in tracking potential job applicants who identify as Black or Black biracial or multiracial in keeping with the University’s intention of hiring at least 15 Black faculty members by 2028, to meet our obligations under SFU’s Employment Equity Policy (GP19), identify and remove systemic barriers to recruitment and hiring and enhance equity, diversity and inclusion in hiring faculty. The information will be used in conjunction with your work experience, work ability and qualifications to determine your appropriateness for this position.

We encourage applications from candidates with expertise in one or more of the following areas: African American literature; African literatures and African diasporic literatures; Black Atlantic studies; Black British literature; Black Modernisms; Black Pacific and transpacific studies; and hemispheric Black studies. We welcome work that crosses conventional period boundaries or situates nineteenth- twentieth- and twenty-first-century Black literary and cultural production within longer histories of race, racial formation, colonialism, empire, and modernity.

As well, we welcome complementary expertise in one or more of the following areas: Black and Indigenous studies and solidarities; Black Digital Humanities; Black ecologies and environmental humanities; Black feminisms; Black print cultures, archives, and book history; Black queer studies; class, labour, racial capitalism, and Black Marxist traditions; community-engaged research; critical race studies and histories and theories of race; intersectional approaches; research-creation; and Black critical and creative methods.

The successful candidate will contribute to the Department’s undergraduate and graduate teaching and research in Black literary and cultural studies and will have opportunities to connect with the Department’s existing strengths in Indigenous, diasporic, transnational, decolonial, environmental, digital, and print-cultural studies, as well as creative writing and research-creation. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to participate in the broader interdisciplinary community of Black scholarship at Simon Fraser University and to work closely with the Institute for Black and African Diaspora Research and Engagement and other relevant university initiatives.

Qualifications

Excellence in research and excellence in teaching are the primary criteria for this position. The candidate will have a strong record of research productivity commensurate with their experience and a demonstrated research and teaching profile in Black literary and cultural studies. The candidate should have the capacity to develop courses based on their research interests while contributing to the Department’s changing curriculum, including undergraduate and graduate teaching in nineteenth- twentieth- and twenty-first century Black literatures and cultures.

We especially welcome candidates whose pedagogy engages critically with the forms, institutions, and practices through which knowledge is produced and transmitted. This may include decolonial and anti-colonial pedagogies; critical and creative forms of knowledge-making; and/or collaborative or community-engaged learning. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to create intellectually rigorous and inclusive learning environments and to support students in engaging critically with questions of race, power, history, culture, and knowledge production.

The successful candidate will have a PhD completed by the appointment start date; however, PhD candidates with solid indication of imminent completion may be hired at the rank of Instructor and will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor upon completion of the PhD.

Duties

The successful applicant is expected to significantly enhance the Department of English’s and the University’s research strengths, contribute to the development of Black literary and cultural studies in the Department and to interdisciplinary Black Studies at SFU, and help sustain the collegial atmosphere of the Department. A normal teaching load for a tenure-track research faculty member is 2/2: four courses per year over two 13-week semesters, including courses at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum, from large first-year lectures with Teaching Assistants to small upper division seminars and the graduate program. Finally, it is expected that the successful candidate will contribute to the Department, Faculty, University, and academic community through service.

Applications 

Applications should include: 

• A letter describing your interest in the position and your qualifications (2-3 pages) including your research expertise and program
• A Curriculum Vitae
• A scholarly publication or other suitable writing sample, such as a dissertation chapter (up to 25 pages)
• A statement of teaching philosophy (2 pages)
• Confidential letters from three references 

Review of complete applications will begin November 9, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. All applications will be treated in confidence. Please submit all applications electronically, and have referees send their confidential letters, to Dr. Stephen Collis, Chair, Department of English at englsec@sfu.ca. Use this address for all inquiries and any accommodations that may be needed. We are committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants.

Simon Fraser University is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Candidates who do not complete the Applicant Demographic Survey will not be considered for this position. Please fill out the Applicant Demographic Survey administered by the Equity Office: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/SJFP2SV

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range is as follows. These estimates are dependent on experience and are inclusive of a market differential.

• Instructor (ABD Candidates): $98,340- $108,340
• Assistant Professor: $104,700 to $143,322

This is a junior faculty position. Only those eligible to be appointed or promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor will be considered. The position is subject to availability of funding.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. 

About the Department and SFU

SFU's three campuses are located on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Səlil̓wətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples, and our students are of diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and national heritages. Recognizing the unceded traditional Coast Salish territories, we aspire to foster and honour Indigenous resurgence as well as a plurality of decolonizing and anti-racist practices. The candidate will join a department committed to a vibrant culture of research and teaching. The English Department has 24 accomplished faculty, over 400 undergraduate majors and minors, and over 40 M.A. and Ph.D. students working in all areas of English studies, with notable strengths in contemporary Canadian, Indigenous, and diasporic literatures; environmental humanities; creative writing; print culture; and the Digital Humanities. We offer classes on three campuses in the metropolitan Vancouver area, as well as comprehensive distance education courses, joint majors, and opportunities for cooperative education. BC’s lower mainland, including the city of Vancouver, is globally renowned for its cosmopolitanism and livability. 

Simon Fraser University is an institution whose strength is based on our shared commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity is an underlying principle of our Strategic Vision, which pledges SFU to “foster a culture of inclusion and mutual respect, celebrating the diversity reflected among its students, faculty, staff, and our community.” SFU is committed to ensuring that no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, specifically Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, and women; embrace gender and sexual diversity; ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University; and treat all employees equitably. 

SFU offers several benefits and services, including pension, health and dental benefits and a Down Payment Assistance benefit, aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty. Please see the Faculty Relations, Benefits and Services page and Collective Agreement for more details.

SFU is committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants. If you require any assistance or accommodations, or have questions about SFU accommodations policies or equity considerations, please contact the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, in the Equity Office. 

We recognize that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g. parental leave, leave due to illness, research delays due to COVID-19) can impact research achievements, and we are committed to ensuring that these are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight in their application how alternative paths and/or interruptions have impacted them.

 Personal information that forms part of an application is collected under the general authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, applicable University Policies, and the SFUFA/SFU Collective Agreement. For further details see the full Collection Notice.