Postdoctoral Scholar

Michigan Technological University • Houghton, MI

2d • $55,000 - $58,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Michigan Technological University is seeking a motivated postdoctoral research associate to advance the analysis, quality assurance, and calibration of automated pavement condition data and pavement performance modeling. The successful candidate will contribute to two sponsored research projects: (1) development of an improved calibration and data quality management framework for automated pavement distress collection and processing for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT); and (2) validation and recalibration of the Pavement Distress Score (PDS) and associated pavement condition indices and deterioration models for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). This position is supported by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. The degree must have been earned within 72 months prior to the beginning of the appointment.
• Six (6) years of research experience in at least three (3) of the following research areas: civil engineering, pavement engineering, pavement distress data collection and analysis, pavement management systems, statistical data analysis, and mechanistic-empirical pavement modeling.
• Experience in publishing research findings in top peer-reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries and work harmoniously with diverse groups of students, faculty, and staff.
• Strong programming skills in Python.

Nice To Haves

• Strong background in mechanistic-empirical pavement design and asphalt viscoelasticity.
• Experience with automated pavement distress data, pavement condition indices, or pavement management software.
• Familiarity with the JAVA programming language.
• Strong mathematical, statistical, and analytical reasoning skills.

Responsibilities

• Developing and applying statistically based calibration, audit, and validation procedures for automated pavement distress data collection systems.
• Evaluating and recalibrating pavement distress definitions, severity thresholds, distress weight factors, and composite pavement condition indices.
• Assessing pavement deterioration models and network-level condition projection methods.
• Developing and maintaining data analysis tools and processing pipelines in Python.
• Helping with proposal preparation.
• Preparing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Supervising and collaborating with graduate and undergraduate students.

Benefits

• J-1 visa sponsorship is available for this position.

What This Job Offers

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