2026 PhD Graduate - Postdoctoral Researcher - In-Situ Sensing for Additive Manufacturing

About the role

The In-Situ Sensing Postdoctoral Fellow position at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is dedicated to pioneering advancements in additive manufacturing through cutting-edge sensing technologies, data fusion, and real-time control. This role involves collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to develop novel closed-loop sensing and control solutions tailored for additive manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with APL scientists, engineers, and technicians to develop novel closed-loop sensing and control solutions tailored for additive manufacturing.
• Perform pioneering research in materials and process characterization by fusing in-situ sensing modalities to optimize microstructure and density in metal additive manufacturing.
• Utilize AI and ML algorithms to extract insights from multi-modal sensor data, improve real-time process monitoring, and drive automated control systems.
• Design, implement, and validate adaptive control algorithms that leverage sensor feedback to dynamically adjust processing parameters in real time.
• Engage with a multidisciplinary team focused on materials discovery, novel fabrication techniques, multiscale modeling, processing insights, advanced testing, and qualification science.
• Present technical findings to both internal and external audiences, effectively communicating complex concepts to team members, task leads, and project leadership.
• Contribute to the design, fabrication, and characterization of additively manufactured operational prototypes that demonstrate intelligent process control.

Qualifications

• Possess a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Data Science, or a related field.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage wide-ranging audiences and adapt to different communication styles.
• Adaptable, enthusiastic about new challenges, and have a passion for learning with a collaborative mindset open to sharing and receiving feedback.
• Experience solving multidisciplinary research challenges related to qualified hardware and additive manufacturing.
• Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of additive manufacturing, including process defects, microstructure evolution, and thermodynamic solidification.
• Demonstrated track record of authoring research proposals and publishing high-impact journal papers.
• Willing and able to work in a laboratory setting and travel for field testing, sponsor meetings, conferences, and technical presentations.
• Able to obtain a Secret-level security clearance to start with APL and then upi will be required to obtain a final Top Secret clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience fielding additively manufactured components.
• Experience fusing 2D and 3D data, including in-situ and post-manufacturing data, into a 3D format for advanced processing and visualization.
• Experience applying AI/ML techniques to complex datasets, including deep learning models for defect detection, anomaly detection, and predictive modeling of additive manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on expertise in developing novel in-situ monitoring methods for additive manufacturing, including custom sensor development to improve signal-to-noise ratios and spatial registration.
• Experience with digital twin technology and reinforcement learning for real-time optimization of manufacturing parameters.
• Experience working with voxel-based data and mapping physical quantifications across multiple sensing platforms.
• Strong scientific programming skills using tools such as MATLAB or Python, with experience in machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-Learn.

Benefits

At APL, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. We also provide a healthy work/life balance and encourage our team members to generate and lead their own research initiatives while also publishing their findings in high-impact venues.