Research Associate - College of Engineering - Department of Mechanical Engineering — Pittsburgh, PA

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’s EMIT Lab, led by Prof. Sneha P. Narra is seeking a highly reliable and hands-on Research Associate to support research in metal additive manufacturing, with a primary focus on Alloy 718, process modeling, and materials characterization for an

ongoing project funded by NASA. The ideal candidate is a recent MS or recent PhD with strong technical skills, excellent execution, and interest in a future faculty or research- leadership path.

This position is designed for someone who wants to deepen their expertise in metal AM while gaining experience leading technical work, coordinating research tasks, mentoring students, and contributing to follow-on funding efforts through high-quality preliminary data and technical drafts.

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on characterization work including tomography, microscopy, metallography, and related materials analysis.
• Build on existing process and microstructure modeling efforts to connect experimental characterization results with modeling findings.
• Produce high-quality experimental results, figures, methods descriptions, and technical summaries based on specific research directions provided by the PI.
• Integrate knowledge across stages of the metal AM workflow, including processing, post-processing, characterization, and interpretation of results.
• Support ongoing collaborative project activities by providing characterization expertise, technical feedback, and data organization, to ensure deliverables are completed accurately and on time.
• Learn and implement new techniques or concepts as needed to support evolving project needs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• MS or recent PhD in materials science, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, additive manufacturing, or a closely related field. PhD preferred
• Prior experience with metal additive manufacturing processes, strong hands-on ability with laboratory equipment and experimental workflows.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques such as microscopy, tomography, metallography, or related methods.
• Basic experience with modeling or relevant modeling coursework.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to coordinate with students and collaborators.
• Demonstrated reliability, judgment, and ability to execute tasks.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements

• Successful background check

Location

Pittsburgh, PAJob Function

ResearchersPosition Type

Full timePay Basis

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