Postdoctoral Fellow

Posting Details
Posting Detail Information

Working Title	Postdoctoral Fellow
Position Location	Fort Collins, CO
Is this position eligible for hybrid or remote work?	No
Research Professional Position	Yes
Posting Number	202201416AP
Position Type	Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title	Postdoctoral Fellows
Number of Vacancies
Work Hours/Week	40
Proposed Annual Salary Range	$45,000-$49,000
Employee Benefits	Colorado State University (CSU) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for permanent full-time and part-time faculty and administrative professional employees in the following University benefit areas: https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ & https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/ .
Desired Start Date	11/01/2022
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on	10/10/2022
Description of Work Unit	As one of the nation’s top public research universities, Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a land-grant institution, with enrollment of more than 33,000 students. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs, 114 graduate degree programs, 21 professional master’s degree programs, and a Professional Veterinary Medicine program. CSU’s world-class research and scholarship attract more than $400 million in research funding annually, putting the university among top federally funded public universities without a medical school. Colorado’s Front Range is a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD, Xilinx, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins. Fort Collins is an attractive community of approximately 170,000 located along the Colorado Front Range at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It consistently ranks high on quality of life measures by numerous publications; see https://www .fcgov.com/visitor/awards for the complete list. The city offers a pleasant climate with excellent schools and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby. For more information on Fort Collins, check out the City’s website: www.visitftcollins.com. The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at CSU offers a curriculum that integrates exceptional classroom learning and in-depth engineering practice for an unparalleled educational experience. Made up of 43 faculty members, 10 staff members, 1,000 undergraduate students, and 125 graduate students, ME is one of the largest departments on CSU’s campus. State-of-the-art labs provide unmatched, hands-on experience to help undergraduate students conceptualize industry environments, and $11M in annual research funding provide groundbreaking opportunities focusing on health, materials, and energy, for graduate students to enhance their educational concentrations. Award-winning faculty offer industry and academic perspective, and equip each graduate with the tools needed to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. The Mechanical Engineering program at CSU includes majors in both Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering-Mechanical Engineering; both curriculum combine classroom learning with engineering practice. The department recently added specialties for Aerospace Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, offering undergraduate concentrations, a graduate certificate, a Master of Engineering (M.E.) with specialization, and a Master of Science (M.S.) with a specialized master’s thesis. Our goal is to give our graduates the engineering skills they need to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. Our students are integral members of our research groups and their thesis and dissertation topics focus on cutting-edge research. Further information about the Department can be found at www.engr.colostate.edu/me/. The Multifunctional Functional Polymers and Composites Lab is developing polymers and composite materials that exhibit revolutionary manufacturability, performance, and longevity. We use a judicious combination of material and engineering design, functional constituents, and manufacturing strategies to develop new solutions to current engineering challenges while considering the fundamental characteristics of the target system from design and manufacturing to operational conditions. As a result, our research is highly interdisciplinary and spans several engineering and scientific disciplines including advanced manufacturing, materials science, mechanics, and chemistry.
Position Summary	Traditional approaches for manufacturing of fiber-reinforced polymer composites are slow, energy-intensive, and expensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop new materials and processes that enable rapid and cost-effective manufacturing of polymer composites. CSU Mechanical Engineering is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to study and develop new resin systems and manufacturing processes for developing novel advanced composite manufacturing techniques. The successful candidate will have expertise in developing polymeric materials and characterizing them using various techniques including rheology, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and mechanical testing. Additionally, the candidate should have experience in advanced manufacturing techniques for polymers and/or composites. The candidate must be able to learn additional methodologies and develop and test new materials. Candidates must also have excellent written and oral communication skills and be able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research group.
Required Job Qualifications	PhD Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, or related field by the proposed start date. The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the start date. Mechanical Engineering will not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Will you be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the proposed start date?
Preferred Job Qualifications	Experience in developing new polymeric materials and characterizing their thermomechanical and rheological properties; Experience in advanced manufacturing of polymers and/or composites including additive manufacturing; and Demonstrated publication record in polymer or composite development and characterization.
Diversity Statement	Ability to advance the department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals and activities.

Essential Duties

Job Duty Category	Research and Experimental Work
Duty/Responsibility	Execute research tasks in the selected research area, Conduct review of literature related to the selected research area, and Identify additional research needs and make recommendations.
Percentage Of Time	80%

Job Duty Category	Communication
Duty/Responsibility	Document research results and communicate them to the PI,  Write research reports and presentations, and  Communicate research results to collaborators, the research community, and the broader community.
Percentage Of Time	20%

Application Details

Special Instructions to Applicants	Interested applicants must submit a cover letter, which addresses how education and professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume or CV, and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.
Conditions of Employment	Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)
Search Contact	Mostafa Yourdkhani, [email protected]
EEO Statement	Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services. The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, [email protected] . The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] . The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] . Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education .
Background Check Policy Statement	Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.