Postdoctoral Scholar - Mechanical Engineering

About the role

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar in Battery Mechanics, Physics-Based AI, and Energy Storage Manufacturing under the direction of Dr. Jun Xu.

Responsibilities

• Research: Develop and lead research integrating AI with battery science and engineering; design computational and/or experimental studies; and collaborate with academic, national laboratory, and industry partners.
• Publications: Lead the preparation of high-quality journal manuscripts and present findings at conferences.
• Proposal development: Work closely with the PI to identify funding opportunities, develop research concepts, generate preliminary results, and prepare technical proposals.
• Laboratory management: Help coordinate daily laboratory activities, equipment use and maintenance, research documentation, data and code management, and safety practices.
• Mentoring and coordination: Mentor graduate and undergraduate students, support project planning, and track research milestones and deliverables.

Requirements

• A Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or a closely related field by the start date.
• Strong expertise in AI/machine learning, demonstrated through substantive research contributions.
• Experience preparing research proposals, mentoring students, or coordinating laboratory projects.
• Experience applying AI to batteries, energy storage, materials, or related physical systems.
• Experience with battery experiments, electrochemical or multiphysics modeling, scientific data infrastructure, or automated research workflows.
• A strong publication record appropriate to career stage and excellent scientific writing and communication skills.

Benefits

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)