PREP0004353 Ceramic Additive Manufacturing Research Engineer

PREP Research Associate

Opportunity No.: PREP0004353

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, and thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

APPLY ONLINE HERE

Ceramic Additive Manufacturing Research Engineer

Project Description:

The NIST Materials Measurement Laboratory is seeking a qualified candidate to develop metrologies for characterizing ceramic additive manufacturing processes, with an emphasis on designing and building custom measurement systems and testbeds. The associate will work alongside NIST researchers to design, build, and validate custom experimental setups; perform fundamental characterization (rheology, cure depth, colloidal stability) of ceramic feedstocks for printing; perform quantitative image analysis; and develop data pipelines for large datasets. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for an additional year. Relocation expenses will not be provided.

Key responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: 

• Design, build, and validate custom experimental setups for ceramic additive manufacturing processes characterization
• Design, build, and validate custom experimental setups for in situ process monitoring/non-destructive evaluation of ceramic AM builds
• Develop and characterize ceramic feedstocks, including rheological measurements of dense ceramic suspensions and slurries
• Contribute to ongoing interlaboratory study and standards development efforts related to metrology of dense suspensions
• Present results at internal meetings and occasional meetings with external stakeholders
• Ensure that results, protocols, software, and documentation are archived or otherwise transmitted to the larger organization

Desired Qualifications: 

• U.S. citizens preferred
• A Ph.D. in Materials Science, Engineering, or a related field
• Mechanical design and rapid prototyping skills (CAD, machining, 3D printing)
• Experience with instrumentation integration (sensors, cameras, data acquisition systems)
• Proficiency in automation and control systems (LabVIEW, Python, Arduino/Raspberry Pi)
• Image processing and segmentation experience (ImageJ, MATLAB, Python/OpenCV)
• Statistical analysis of imaging data
• Hands-on laboratory skills and a troubleshooting mindset
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment

Other Details:

• Full-time: the participant is expected to work 40 hours a week
• Location: the participant will work at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus.
• Duration: this is expected to be a one-year position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.
• For questions related to the research project or the nature of the work in this position, please contact Russell Maier (russell.maier@nist.gov). For questions related to the online application or NIST PREP more generally, please contact msu-nistprep@morgan.edu.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate the administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use the information you submit for the purpose stated.