Postdoctoral Scholar Position Autonomous Polymer Processing and Interface Engineering
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Job Summary
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the termlengthdiscussed willbebasedonuniversityneedperformanceand/oravailabilityoffunding.POSITION SPECIFICS
The Department of Polymer Science Engineering and Technology at Penn State Behrend seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to help establish a data-enabled autonomous polymer processing and interface engineering platform.
The position is led by Prof. YuanQiao Rao whose research focuses on processingstructureinterfaceproperty relationships in multi-material polymer systems with applications in overmolded electronics advanced manufacturing coatings and sustainable polymer processing. The lab operates at the intersection of experimental polymer science data-driven process optimization and industry-engaged research.
The successful candidate will work with faculty students and industry partners to develop experimental workflows connecting polymer materials processing conditions interface formation characterization and performance/reliability testing. The initial research direction is expected to focus on polymer/substrate interface reliability in overmolded electronics and composites with possible extensions to coatings membranes and advanced polymer manufacturing.
The position is well suited for a candidate with a builder mindset who is excited by both scientific discovery and laboratory/platform development. The postdoctoral scholar will help design experimental workflows establish processing and testing protocols build data-management practices mentor undergraduate students and contribute to publications proposals and industry-facing technical reports.
Key Responsibilities
Help establish a data-enabled polymer processing and characterization platform.
Design and execute experiments on processingstructureinterfaceproperty relationships.
Develop DOE-based experimental plans for overmolding composites adhesion and reliability studies.
Support setup of sensor-rich or semi-automated processing/testing workflows.
Develop SOPs for processing testing data capture and sample handling.
Conduct mechanical interfacial surface and failure analysis experiments.
Analyze data using statistical DOE and/or machine-learning-informed approaches as appropriate.
Mentor undergraduate students working on related projects.
Contribute to manuscripts conference abstracts technical reports and external proposals.
Support industry engagement and laboratory demonstrations.
Required Qualifications
polymer science materials science and engineering chemical engineering mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering or a closely related field by the appointment start date.
Strong experimental background in at least one of the following areas:
polymer processing;
polymer interfaces or adhesion;
coatings or thin films;
composites or overmolding;
mechanical testing and failure analysis;
data-enabled manufacturing or automation.
Ability to work independently in a developing laboratory environment.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Interest in mentoring undergraduate students.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with injection molding extrusion coating additive manufacturing or related polymer processing methods.
Experience with adhesion testing lap shear peel testing burst testing leak testing or fracture/failure analysis.
Experience with surface treatments such as plasma silane chemistry oxidation primers or surface cleaning protocols.
Experience with polymer/substrate interfaces fiber-matrix interface electronics packaging or high-performance thermoplastics such as PPS PEI PEEK LCP or related materials.
Experience with DOE statistical analysis Python LabVIEW MATLAB Arduino PLCs sensors data acquisition or machine-learning-assisted experimentation.
Experience with microscopy FTIR XPS contact angle DSC TGA DMA rheology or related characterization methods.
Demonstrated ability to build or improve experimental setups workflows or laboratory capabilities.
Appointment
Start date: Flexible; Target start of Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Earlier start dates may be considered for exceptional candidates. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Application Materials
Applicants should submit:
Cover letter describing research experience platform-building interests and with qualifications for the position; Curriculum vitae; Research statement preferably 23 pages describing relevant experience and proposed contributions to autonomous polymer processing/interface engineering; Contact information for three references; Optional: one representative publication or technical report.
System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit.
About Penn State Behrend and PSET
Penn State Behrend is a residential campus of The Pennsylvania State University located in Erie Pennsylvania. The Department of Polymer Science Engineering and Technology (PSET) is a newly merged growing department with strong industry connections in the Erie region and beyond active partnerships with companies including RTP Autodesk Kyocera Plastikos and Poseidon and a commitment to building a data-enabled polymer manufacturing research platform.
For questions about the position please contact Prof. YuanQiao Rao at .
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.BENEFITS
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.For more detailed information please visit ourBenefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)
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EEO IS THE LAW
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