Postdoctoral Fellow, Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive health benefits

Voluntary insurance options

Generous paid vacation and sick leave

Retirement plan with employer match

Tuition assistance

Job summary

A leading research institution in Austin seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering to conduct cutting-edge research in drilling and multi-phase flow dynamics. Candidates must have a recent Ph.D. in Mechanical or Petroleum Engineering, demonstrate expertise in computational science and software development, and have a strong publication record. The position offers competitive health benefits and generous vacation time, emphasizing research supervision and technical skill development.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. received within three years of the start date.
• Experience in scientific computational software development.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct drilling research in hydraulics and multi-phase flow dynamics.
• Develop proposals, R&D plans, schedules, and reports.
• Supervise students and staff on R&D projects.

Skills

Computational science

Multi-physics modeling

Programming in Python

Programming in MATLAB

Research supervision

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical or Petroleum Engineering

Tools

CFD software

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellow, Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

Hiring Department: Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2025

Location: UT Main Campus

Purpose

The Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct world‑leading research, delivering projects on time, within budget, and meeting reporting and publication requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct state‑of‑the‑art drilling research in hydraulics and multi‑phase flow dynamics, managed pressure drilling, drill string dynamics, and geothermal well construction.
• Develop proposals, R&D plans, schedules, and detailed phase reports.
• Supervise undergraduate and graduate students and staff working on R&D projects.
• Write papers and present results at professional meetings and conferences.
• Provide input on research and development inquiries, testing procedures, and research direction.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Mechanical or Petroleum Engineering, received within three years of the start date.
• Background in computational science and multi‑physics modeling, including CFD and multibody dynamics.
• Strong experience in scientific computational software development and programming in Python and MATLAB.
• Strong record of peer‑reviewed publications in the areas described above.
• Prior experience with supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research background in modeling multiphase flow in pipe and porous media coupled with heat transfer.
• Experience in drill string dynamics using multibody dynamics.
• Familiarity with drilling and well‑completion technologies.
• Experience in software secondary development (e.g., user interfaces).
• Successful patent application experience.
• Previous project supervision experience.

Benefits

• Competitive health benefits; employee premiums 100%, family premiums 50%.
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options.
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays.
• Defined benefit retirement plan with 7.75% employer match.
• Tuition assistance and free access to university libraries and museums.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Sample of related publications
• Three work references (at least one from a supervisor)
• Letter of interest

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.