Postdoctoral Associate - Geotechnical Systems

New York University; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 819,684 - 1,311,494; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive salary

Medical insurance

Housing allowance

Annual home-leave travel

Educational subsidies for children

Job summary

New York University in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to conduct advanced research in geotechnical systems. This role emphasizes centrifuge modeling, experimental testing, and numerical analysis aimed at sustainable infrastructure development.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering or a related field, with a strong background in centrifuge testing and numerical modeling. The position offers a highly competitive salary and various benefits including medical insurance and educational subsidies.

Qualifications

• PhD in Geotechnical Engineering or closely related field required.
• Strong background in centrifuge experimental testing, including test design, execution, and data interpretation.
• Experience in numerical modeling and simulation to complement physical experiments.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on resilient and sustainable geotechnical systems.
• Design and analyze centrifuge experiments for geotechnical applications.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary research teams on innovative projects.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Centrifuge modeling and experimental testing

Numerical modeling and simulation

Experimental design and data interpretation

Artificial intelligence in geotechnics

Research documentation

Peer-reviewed publication writing

Education

PhD in Geotechnical Engineering or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Job Snapshot

Role: Postdoctoral Associate - Geotechnical Systems

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Higher Education

Function: Research

Experience: PhD in Geotechnical Engineering or related field

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: 20,000-32,000 (USD)

Position Overview

Advanced research opportunity focused on centrifuge experimental testing, numerical modeling, resilient geotechnical systems, sustainable infrastructure, and energy‑related geotechnical applications.

Context

The Postdoctoral Associate will work within the Division of Engineering, Civil and Urban Engineering, advancing the design, testing, and analysis of resilient and sustainable geotechnical systems. The role centers on centrifuge modeling, experimental testing, numerical simulation, and interpretation of soil and infrastructure behavior under complex loading and environmental conditions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead research projects focused on resilient and sustainable geotechnical systems using centrifuge modeling.
• Design, implement, and analyze centrifuge experiments for geotechnical engineering applications.
• Develop experimental plans, test configurations, instrumentation strategies, and data collection workflows.
• Interpret centrifuge testing results and link physical findings to engineering performance indicators.
• Build and apply numerical models to complement, validate, and deepen interpretation of experimental results.
• Support simulation workflows for infrastructure systems, soil behavior, energy geotechnics, and related applications.
• Develop innovative experimental apparatus for centrifuge testing and geotechnical research.
• Use CAD and modeling tools such as SolidWorks for experimental design and apparatus development.
• Collaborate with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and multidisciplinary research teams.
• Explore additional research directions involving artificial intelligence in geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, geohazard risk assessment, or energy geotechnics.
• Prepare high‑quality peer‑reviewed journal papers, conference papers, technical reports, and research presentations.
• Maintain accurate documentation of experimental setups, model parameters, datasets, simulation outputs, and research methods.
• Contribute to research discussions, project planning, laboratory coordination, and academic dissemination.
• Support a collaborative research culture focused on resilience, sustainability, energy, and advanced geotechnical engineering.

Qualifications

• PhD in Geotechnical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Within the first five years after receiving the PhD.
• Strong background in centrifuge experimental testing, including test design, execution, instrumentation, and data interpretation.
• Experience in numerical modeling and simulation to complement physical experiments.
• Proficiency in CAD and modeling tools such as SolidWorks is preferred.
• Ability to develop experimental apparatus for geotechnical testing is advantageous.
• Background in artificial intelligence applications in geotechnics is valuable.
• Experience in geoenvironmental engineering, geohazard risk assessment, or energy geotechnics is an asset.
• Strong analytical ability and confidence working across experimental and computational methods.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for publications, presentations, and team collaboration.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, postdoctoral associates, students, and multidisciplinary partners.
• Strong motivation to publish in reputable journals and contribute to impactful research.
• Ability to submit required documents, including cover letter, curriculum vitae with full publication list, research interest statement, transcript, recommendation letters, and reference contacts.

Required Skills

• Geotechnical engineering
• Centrifuge modeling and experimental testing
• Experimental design and data interpretation
• Numerical modeling and simulation
• Resilient geotechnical systems
• Sustainable infrastructure
• Energy geotechnics
• Geoenvironmental engineering
• Geohazard risk assessment
• Artificial intelligence in geotechnics
• Soil behavior analysis
• Infrastructure resilience
• CAD modeling; SolidWorks
• Experimental apparatus development
• Research documentation
• Peer‑reviewed publication writing
• Conference presentation
• Multidisciplinary collaboration
• Laboratory research
• Computational analysis

Benefits

Highly competitive salary, medical insurance, housing allowance, annual home‑leave travel, educational subsidies for children, and access to a multidisciplinary research environment focused on resilience, energy, sustainability, and infrastructure systems.

About the Company

New York University Abu Dhabi is a globally connected research university in the UAE, supporting advanced scholarship across engineering, science, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. Through the Division of Engineering and the Center for Sand Hazards and Opportunities in Resilience, Energy, and Sustainability, NYU Abu Dhabi provides a strong platform for research in geotechnical engineering, infrastructure resilience, energy applications, sustainability, and advanced experimental modeling.