"Postdoctoral Scholar"

Job Details

Postdoctoral Scholar
Northern Arizona University

Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.

About the Department/College

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is known for its student-centered approach and strong emphasis on hands-on learning and research. It offers a full suite of degree programs-bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D - and is housed in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. The department fosters close faculty-student interaction, with a focus on mentoring and collaborative research. Faculty and students engage in cutting-edge work in areas like solid mechanics, thermal-fluids, energy systems, intelligent systems, robotics, and bioengineering. The department partners with local and national organizations to apply engineering solutions to real-world problems, especially those relevant to Arizona and the Southwest. The undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree program is ABET-accredited, ensuring a rigorous and industry-aligned curriculum. The Department currently has over 700 students and 17 faculty, and blends academic rigor with a strong sense of community and purpose.

About the Position

The Biomechantronics Laboratory at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is seeking exceptional candidates for a federally- and foundation-funded Postdoctoral Scholar position in the areas of robotic exoskeleton design and development, and robot assisted clinical gait rehabilitation. The successful candidate will help develop and test new exoskeleton designs, and assist in the clinical implementation of a lightweight, dual- mode (assistive or resistive) wearable robotic ankle exoskeleton to improve function and mobility in children with cerebral palsy. The chosen scholar will work in collaboration with the Biomechatronics Lab at NAU, Gait and Motion Analysis at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, and the Ability & Innovation Lab at the University of Washington; the primary research location will be at NAU in Flagstaff, AZ. Research opportunities include developing novel robotic assistive devices, exoskeleton control algorithms, novel rehabilitation interventions, clinical trial implementation, and gait and motional analysis.

Responsibilities Include

85% - Conduct Original Postdoctoral Research

• Reviews literature and identifies appropriate experimental approaches and areas of research.
• Designs and performs complex research projects.
• Generates, analyzes, and interprets research data in a manner reflecting a deep understanding of the area of research.
• Operates and maintains laboratory tools and scientific equipment e.g., microscopes, sequencing machines, reagents.
• Keeps detailed records of experiments, data, and analyses.
• Assists faculty researchers and other collaborators, or may act independently, in planning and designing research experiments.
• Establishes priorities and recommends schedules, timetables and costs.
• Presents project results to internal and external parties at regular meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Effectively uses available technology to facilitate the success of the project.
• Engages in fieldwork and writing of technical publications and reports including peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Collaborates with the PI on external funding proposals.
• Assists in writing funded project reports.
• Operates specialized laboratory/scientific tool and equipment.
• Performs statistical analyses, including selecting the appropriate analysis procedure, setting up data for analysis, judging validity and reliability of data, designing, and writing programs to perform analyses, and producing written reports on the result of the analyses.

10% - Assist in Grant Writing

• Submits proposals for external funding.

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent doctorate in relevant field is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• A strong record of publication and funding.
• Prior experience developing wearable robots, exoskeletons, or powered prosthesis.
• A desire to work on a collaborative team.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Leadership, coordination, and/or supervision skills.
• Data collection, processing and analysis.
• Highly motivated to perform research in a collaborative environment.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships.
• Communicates effectively.

Compensation

Salary range is $58,882 to $73,434. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.