Postdoctoral Research Associate - College of Engineering - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Retirement plan

PTO

Life insurance

Transit pass

Family support

Gym access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead data collection and analysis for mobile air toxic VOC campaigns. The role combines field sampling with lab work, using high-resolution mass spectrometry to quantify exposures and sources.

The successful candidate will manage mobile laboratory operations, coordinate with community stakeholders, mentor students, and contribute to publications.

Qualifications

• PhD required in relevant engineering or science field.
• 0–1 years of experience.
• Experience with ambient or lab atmospheric measurements.
• Knowledge of analytical software tools such as Python, R, Matlab, or Igor.
• Experience with mass spectrometry.
• Excellent scientific communication and publications.
• Valid driver’s license; office and lab work required.

Responsibilities

• Participate in mobile sampling campaigns in urban and rural locations.
• Maintain CMU mobile laboratory and the instruments in it.
• Coordinate with and communicate results to community stakeholders and collaborators.
• Analysis of pollutant spatial patterns and determination of sources that impact communities and create pollution hotspots.
• Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate students.
• Perform other project-related duties as assigned.

Skills

Atmospheric measurements

Python

R

MATLAB

Igor

Mass spectrometry

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in Mechanical, Chemical, Civil Engineering; Chemistry; Atmospheric or Environmental Science

Tools

Laboratory instrumentation

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here! Innovation. Interdisciplinary collaboration. Complex problem solving. In Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, faculty members, researchers, and students are revolutionizing focus areas in advanced manufacturing, bioengineering, computational engineering, energy and the environment, product design, and robotics. In addition, they are using their expertise in interdisciplinary research centers across the university. Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Mechanical Engineering is searching for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join their team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an interesting and challenging work environment. The successful candidate will lead data collection and analysis for two mobile sampling campaigns. We are conducting mobile measurements of air toxic VOCs in several cities in New Jersey, and we will soon begin a second project to make similar measurements in rural Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. These measurements will help to quantify exposures in urban/suburban communities (New Jersey) and in rural communities impacted by oil and gas development (PA, WV, OH). Both the urban and rural communities are in environmental justice areas. The ideal candidate is someone who wants the opportunity to apply innovative and creative approaches to analyzing large and complex datasets. The mobile sampling approach combines high resolution mass spectrometry with in-motion sampling. This results in a rich, chemically specific, and spatially resolved dataset that can be used to quantify both pollutant exposures and the sources responsible for those exposures. In addition to the projects presented here, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage in the wider community in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and in CAPS. Members of CAPS are recognized internationally as leaders in the study of air quality and atmospheric chemistry. Our unifying theme is the behavior of particulate matter in the atmosphere, including emissions, formation, transformation and deposition of particles as well as their climatological and health effects. We currently consist of seven interwoven research groups directed by faculty members associated with five academic departments (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy, Mechanical Engineering).

Core Responsibilities

• Participate in mobile sampling campaigns in both urban and rural locations.
• Maintain the CMU mobile laboratory and the instruments in it.
• Coordinate with and communicate results to community stakeholders and our collaborators.
• Analysis of pollutant spatial patterns and determination of sources that impact communities and that create pollution hotspots.
• The candidate will have the opportunity to mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate students. Details of mentorship and advising will be discussed with PI.
• Perform other project-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A PhD in Mechanical, Chemical, or Civil Engineering; Chemistry; Atmospheric or Environmental Science; or a related discipline
• 0-1 years of experience
• Experience with ambient or laboratory atmospheric measurements.
• Knowledge of analytical software tools such as Python, R, Matlab, or Igor.
• Experience with mass spectrometry
• Scientific communication and publication
• Requirements: A valid driver’s license is required The candidate will work in an office and laboratory.

Location Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function: Pre/Post-Doctoral Associates & Fellows

Position Type: Postdoctoral Associate / Fellow (Fixed Term) Full Time/Part time Full time Pay Basis Salary More Information: Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.

Benefits

• comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• tuition benefits
• paid time off and observed holidays
• life and accidental death and disability insurance
• free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass
• access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs
• fitness center access
• much more!

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

For technical assistance, email HR Services or call 412-268-4600.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application, interview, or hiring process, please contact Equal Opportunity Services by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 412-268-5072.

Prospective Employee Disclosures

Please see Faculty Careers.