Postdoctoral Associate in Transportation Systems, Safety, and Human Factors

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This position involves conducting research in transportation systems, safety, and human factors. The role includes literature reviews, developing experimental designs, supporting test environments and field evaluations, and applying methods for data acquisition and analysis. The associate will also support human-factors and pedestrian research, analyze data using reproducible methods, prepare technical reports and manuscripts, coordinate research activities, and mentor research assistants. Participation in professional development, funding proposals, and related initiatives is also expected.

Requirements

• An earned doctorate by the appointment start date in civil or transportation engineering, electrical or computer engineering, industrial or systems engineering, human factors, experimental psychology, computer science, or a closely related field appropriate to the assigned research.
• Demonstrated experience conducting quantitative research and analyzing experimental, observational, or engineering data.
• Proficiency in at least one analytical or programming environment, such as Python, R, MATLAB, or equivalent software.
• Demonstrated technical writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team.

Nice To Haves

• Traffic signal operations, intelligent transportation systems, transportation safety, vehicle detection, or traffic simulation.
• Instrumentation, synchronized measurements, data acquisition, networked sensing, or camera-based system evaluation.
• Human factors, pedestrian behavior, accessibility, wayfinding, or evaluation of transportation infrastructure from a user perspective.
• Human-subject research, IRB processes, participant recruitment, and accessible research procedures.
• Experimental design, repeated-measures or mixed-effects analysis, sampling methods, and measurement uncertainty.
• Video processing, computer vision, automated event extraction, or behavioral observation.
• Controlled testbed development and field data collection.
• Preparation of research publications, agency reports, technical manuals, or implementation guidance.
• Collaboration with public agencies, industry partners, or accessibility practitioners.
• Mentoring research assistants and coordinating concurrent research activities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize research, technical standards, and agency practices relevant to transportation systems, safety, and accessibility.
• Develop experimental designs, research protocols, performance measures, sampling approaches, and statistical analysis plans.
• Support the development and operation of controlled test environments and field evaluations involving transportation technologies, infrastructure, and user behavior.
• Develop and apply methods for instrumentation, data acquisition, event logging, video analysis, and measurement of system performance.
• Support human-factors and pedestrian research, including study procedures, IRB documentation, recruitment coordination, and participant activities conducted under approved protocols and appropriate specialist supervision.
• Analyze engineering and behavioral data using reproducible methods that address repeated observations, measurement uncertainty, missing data, and data quality.
• Prepare technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, presentations, implementation guidance, and practitioner training materials.
• Coordinate research activities with collaborating faculty, staff, agency partners, and technical specialists.
• Mentor student and hourly research assistants and support consistent data-collection and quality-control practices.
• Participate in research mentoring and professional development, and contribute to related funding proposals and research initiatives.

What This Job Offers

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