Research Associate-Fixed Term

Position Summary

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University has an opening for a postdoctoral research associate with an anticipated start date in Spring 2026 in the area of experimental studies of gas-cooled plasma-facing components in fusion technology under the direction of Dr. Minami Yoda. The primary responsibilities of the position will be to reassemble and upgrade a high-pressure and high-temperature helium flow loop (maximum flowrate 100 g/s) and use this facility to study helium-cooled tungsten divertor concepts at nearly prototypical temperatures (maximum 450 °C) and prototypical pressures (about 10 MPa).  Applicants must have a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering or a related field, an outstanding academic record, and the ability to supervise external contractors and work with Ph.D. students.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or closely related

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related field

Desired Qualifications

• An outstanding academic record and the ability to both supervise external contractors and work with Ph.D. students. 
• In addition, experience with and working knowledge of most, if not all, of the following topics:
  • Fundamental knowledge of fluid mechanics and heat transfer
  • Hands-on experience designing, building, and debugging experimental facilities for studying pressurized and heated gas flows
  • Design and implementation of experiments in high-temperature gas flows, including safety considerations
  • Using and developing data acquisition and signal processing software (LabVIEW, MATLAB, etc.), mainly for temperature and pressure data.
  • Some familiarity with magnetic fusion energy

Required Application Materials

Cover letter describing their background and interest in the position; CV; names of two references

Website

me.msu.edu

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.