美国的学术界肯定还是看 Publication. If you keep the good papers coming, yes.
Otherwise ... can do (or have to do) a Post Doc in between.
But do a full time job and try to do research aside, it is very much not
easy. Except you don't have a life.
The truth is, ... you are no longer a student, and you move on with your
life, and all the people you love and care would like to share time with you
... very tough. I see someone go back to acdemia from industry, but he used
to be a scientist/researcher not a SDE.