Research Associate - Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering

West Virginia University • West Virginia, WV

11h

About The Position

The Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering at West Virginia University invites applications for a Research Associate focused on experimental aerodynamics. The role involves contributing to proposal development, preparing sponsor review materials, and developing manuscripts for conference and journal submission. The candidate is also expected to help and supervise undergraduate and graduate students. U.S. citizenship is required for employment, and preference will be given to candidates with a security clearance.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required for employment.
• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience in experimental testing.
• Experience in both free-flight testing and wind-tunnel testing.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks and possess good communication skills.
• Experience with free-flight testing and test safety.
• Experience with free-flight model design and development, particularly for high-G environments.
• Experience with free-flight launcher design and development.
• Experience with subsonic and supersonic wind-tunnel testing.
• Experience with motion-capture systems for experimental flight testing.
• Experience using high-speed cameras for trajectory capture.
• Significant CAD and design experience, and ability to interact with a machinist.
• Knowledge of internal and external ballistics.
• Experience with MATLAB and/or Python.

Nice To Haves

• Security clearance.
• Experience in ballistics, experimental wind-tunnel testing, and free-flight testing.
• Free-flight testing safety experience, such as having acted as the safety officer.
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate engineering courses.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to proposal development.
• Create review materials for sponsors.
• Develop manuscripts for conference and journal submission.
• Aid and supervise undergraduate and graduate students.
• Work on multiple tasks and help develop progress reports, manuscripts, and review materials.
• Conduct experimental testing, including free-flight and wind-tunnel testing.

What This Job Offers

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