Post-Doctoral Research Associate: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - UTK

University of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Civil and Environmental Engineering invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate to conduct research on structural engineering and the application of composite materials for civil engineering. Candidates should have a primary interest and background in fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials, reinforced concrete and masonry structures, structural retrofitting, or a related discipline. The postdoctoral associate will work within a composite materials research team, will engage in interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and will be expected to communicate with diverse audiences through various media. The position is available to start as soon as August 8, 2026. This is a twelve-month appointment, renewable annually for up to two years based on performance and funds availability. The compensation package includes a competitive salary, health benefits, career mentoring, and travel support. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has 27 tenure-line faculty members and five non-tenured full-time teaching faculty and offers baccalaureate, masters, and PhD degrees in all areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering. CEE faculty collaborate through a number of interdisciplinary centers including the Center for Transportation Research and the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing. The department also has excellent experimental facilities to support structural engineering research, including a full-scale platform for 3-D concrete printing and a 2000 square-foot structural engineering high bay laboratory with strong floor, reaction wall, and distributed hydraulic power. High performance computing resources are available from the UTK ISAAC facility (Infrastructure for Scientific Applications and Advanced Computing). As the leading university partner in UT-Battelle, the management company for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), UTK offers extraordinary opportunities for cutting-edge research in science and engineering with the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII). The department ranks in the top 5% of all US Civil and Environmental Engineering programs in per faculty scholarly publications and citations according to Academic Analytics.

Requirements

• A PhD with emphasis on civil and structural engineering, or in a related field, completed before starting the appointment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Lead authorship of papers in peer-reviewed journals
• Strong capabilities in data analysis and visualization
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams.
• Strong background in preparing/delivering impromptu project presentations
• Programming languages: Python, Matlab/Simulink
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever-changing needs.
• Experience with experimental testing and characterization of structural or composite materials.
• Experience with finite element modeling and numerical simulation of structural systems.
• Experience contributing to externally funded research projects.
• Teaching experience in structural, civil, or mechanical engineering courses at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Responsibilities

• Conduct analysis and modeling on structural engineering and the application of composite materials for civil engineering.
• Perform contracted research.
• Assist in supervising graduate research assistants on research projects.
• Assist in developing research proposals.
• Assist in writing research reports and periodical project reports.
• Assist, occasionally, in course sessions.
• Develop and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
• Assist in communication with sponsors.

Benefits

• health benefits
• career mentoring
• travel support

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree