Postdoctoral Appointee in Mechanical Engineering

Position Overview

The Applied Materials Division at Argonne National Laboratory has an immediate opening for a Postdoctoral Appointee.

The candidate will be responsible for reviewing and developing design methods and models for high-temperature structural materials with applications in nuclear reactors and other energy systems.

The candidate will collaborate with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) staff to:

• review, validate, and enhance methods for predicting the reliability of high-temperature structural components
• work with continuum damage mechanics models
• apply statistical reliability models

The goal is to enhance engineering methods for designing safer and more reliable components.

Research and Professional Responsibilities

The researcher will also:

• contribute to technical reports
• prepare conference papers and journal publications
• present findings at technical conferences

Position Requirements

• Recent or soon-to-be-completed PhD (typically completed within the last 0–5 years) in: mechanical engineering, materials science, civil engineering, structural engineering, or a closely related field
• Experience with: finite element simulations, development of constitutive models, Knowledge of high-temperature creep crack growth
• Familiarity with engineering design codes such as: ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, API standards, R5, RCC-MRx, or similar documents. Coding experience in Python
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including ability to present research across organizational levels
• Ability to model Argonne’s core values: impact, safety, respect, integrity, teamwork

Work Location Requirement

This position requires an on-site presence at the Argonne campus in Lemont, Illinois.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in fracture mechanics-based reliability modeling
• Familiarity with structure–property relations for metallic and ceramic materials
• Experience in engineering design, particularly high-temperature components
• Experience with the MOOSE finite element simulation framework