Employment Opportunities

The transition from graduate research assistant to tenure-track professor requires significant professional growth as both a technical researcher and educator; growth that is best nurtured within a team of supportive mentors with access to research infrastructure and committed graduate and undergraduate research assistants. The University of Dayton Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is seeking postdoctoral fellows with a desire to investigate and/or prior experience in experimentation of sCO2 cycles and/or infrastructure to join colleagues responding to the cross-disciplinary research and development challenges within the sCO2 industry and to support its growth within Ohio.  

The Position

We invite applications for a postdoctoral research fellow with prior experience in high-temperature and pressure energy systems (e.g., supercritical CO2 [sCO2]), experimentation or modeling of supercritical fluids, thermomechanical design, and/or experimentation or modeling of additively manufactured components (e.g., turbomachinery, heat exchangers). The above-mentioned engineering research specialties are at the nexus of the School of Engineering’s innovative research for the common good and several regional industrial collaborators with advanced research capabilities. This post-doc-to-tenure-track fellow opportunity is an up to two-year postdoctoral research position that could transition to a tenure-track faculty position at the end of the second year, per relevant policies of the hiring unit and University of Dayton; upon demonstrated success in securing externally sponsored research; high-impact mentorship of undergraduate and graduate researchers; and development of effective, innovative teaching practices. This position is renewable annually and could begin as early as March 1, 2026.

The postdoctoral research fellow will be responsible for assisting externally-funded research programs at UD related to the thermomechanical design, manufacturing, and experimental optimization of high-temperature and pressure heat exchangers and turbomachinery. The postdoctoral research fellow will manage a research team composed of faculty collaborators, research engineers, and graduate and undergraduate research assistants. The postdoctoral research fellow will be directly mentored by faculty collaborators in growing a successful research and teaching program at UD, and will be provided with an initial research space to expand existing capabilities and support a future tenure-track career. This includes direct support for project and laboratory management, proposal writing, and teaching support. The postdoctoral research fellow may have the opportunity to access the research facilities of the High-Speed Energy Conversion Cycles Lab (HECC) Laboratory located at the Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (15-minutes from the University of Dayton) and/or the Dayton Thermal Applications (DaTA) Laboratory [expertise in sCO2 cycle and heat exchanger optimization, concentrated solar power]. Additive manufacturing facilities at the University of Dayton Research Institute's Additive Manufacturing Technology Development (AMTD) Group will be available to support the research efforts. To collaborate with U.S. government agencies and access controlled research facilities, U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is preferred.

The Department
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degree programs in Mechanical Engineering. Within the Bachelor’s degree, concentrations are available in aerospace and energy systems. Additionally, minors are available in biomechanics and robotic systems. The MAE Department currently has 800 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, 25 full-time faculty members, and a number of adjunct faculty. Further information about the Department can be found at: https://udayton.edu/engineering/departments/mechanical_and_aerospace/undergrad_mee/index.php

The University of Dayton
UD is one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities, and one of the largest private universities in Ohio. Continuing its trajectory of growth, UD enrolls over 9,700 students, including nerly 7,000 full-time undergraduates. We are a national leader for industrial and manufacturing R&D and federally sponsored engineering R&D, and number one in Catholic university engineering R&D.

Dayton, Ohio
Dayton offers some of the lowest housing costs among Ohio’s other largest metros: Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus. With a burgeoning downtown area, 20 expansive metroparks, a bike-(and now scooter!) share program, several historic neighborhoods, and of course, the Dayton Aviation Heritage and National Historical Park, this is a great place for those who want a bit of everything with a low cost of living, great schools, and manageable traffic. See https://www.daytoncvb.com

At the University of Dayton, we value inclusive excellence because we recognize that it is fundamental to academic and institutional excellence. Inclusive excellence requires a comprehensive, cohesive, and collaborative alignment of infrastructure, resources, and actions. We strive to be active, intentional, and sustain engagement with and celebrate diversity in every dimension of institutional life. Because we seek a community with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we encourage all interested candidates to apply.

• All-but-defended Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field nearing completion.
• Prior experience in high-temperature and pressure energy systems (e.g., supercritical CO2 [sCO2]), experimentation or modeling of supercritical fluids, thermomechanical design, and/or experimentation or modeling of additively manufactured components (e.g., turbomachinery, heat exchangers).
• Potential for teaching excellence, particularly employing active and experiential learning pedagogies for both undergraduate and graduate courses.
• Effective written communication skills.
• Articulated commitment to promoting inclusive excellence.

While not everyone may meet all preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• For collaboration with U.S. government agencies and to access controlled research facilities, U.S. citizenship or permanent residence is preferred. 
• Record of scholarly research.
• Successful experience in or with one or more of the following:
  • Experimentation or modeling of:
    • high-temperature and/or high-pressure power cycles and/or components, or
    • sCO2 cycles and/or components 
    • thermal processes or high-pressure systems
  • High-Performance-Computing 
  • Software toolset development
  • Research experiences that contribute towards the additive manufacturing of metallic components for high-temperature, high-pressure applications 
  • Heat exchanger design 
  • Turbomachinery design 
  • Experiential and active learning strategies to foster and maintain student engagement, successful use of learning resources, including technology and/or active learning strategies. 
  • Engaging individuals from socially and culturally diverse communities.
  • Community, university, or professional service
  • Mentoring undergraduate and graduate student research
• Potential for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in thermal sciences, mechanical design, manufacturing, and/or materials science
• Potential to establish an externally-funded research program
• Effective interpersonal communication skills
• Effective oral communication skills
• Effective classroom management skills
• Commitment to breadth of education including educating the whole person in the Marianist tradition of social justice and a commitment of service to the community, university and profession

A complete application includes:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Cover letter that addresses all minimum requirements and any of the preferred qualifications met.
• A 2 page document describing a vision for developing an externally-sponsored research program.
• A 1-2 page document describing the candidate’s vision for use of innovative teaching approaches and commitment in delivering courses in 1-2 of the following areas: thermal sciences, mechanics, materials, manufacturing, and/or mechanical design..
• A 250 - 500-word statement describing the candidate’s commitment to promoting inclusive excellence.
• Contact information for three references, who may be contacted at a later date.
• If the candidate is all-but-defended (ABD), a letter from the Advisor indicating anticipated completion date of Ph.D.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis or meet the eligibility of an exchange visitor. The University is only able to provide an exchange visitor (J) visa for this position; no other work sponsorship shall be considered.

Application review date is January 15 and the posting will remain open until filled. 

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community.The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973