A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. 

If interested, please send an email with short bio or CV to Professor John Heron (jtheron@umich.edu). 

At Michigan Engineering, we develop the talent and technologies that move society forward and serve our state and national interests. Through discovery and innovation, we create the foundational knowledge and practical technologies to solve not only today's most pressing challenges, but also power industries and change lives. Our programs and community are designed to promote personal well-being and achievement--enabling everyone to unlock their potential and contribute with confidence.

We are seeking a motivated researcher (at the postdoc level) to join our team to investigate light--matter interactions and laser-enabled selective material removal. The position will combine fundamental studies of laser--material interactions with the design and development of experimental platforms for rapid, automated materials processing and characterization.

The researcher will work at the intersection of optics, materials science, instrumentation, and automation, with opportunities to develop both fundamental understanding and new experimental capabilities.

The successful candidate will contribute to projects involving:

• Investigation of light--matter interactions, including laser absorption, energy deposition, ablation, and selective material removal.

• Development and optimization of laser processing strategies for controlled modification or removal of materials.

• Design, construction, and alignment of optical systems and beam paths, including lasers, lenses, mirrors, beam-shaping components, and diagnostic tools.

• Design and integration of motorized translation and positioning stages for automated experiments.

• Development of automated control, data-acquisition, and high-throughput testing systems.

• Integration of optical processing tools with materials characterization and metrology.

• Quantitative analysis of processing-structure-property relationships to understand the mechanisms governing selective material removal.

• Collaboration with researchers from materials science, physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and related fields.

The individual should have experimental problem-solving skills, an interest in interdisciplinary research, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Applicants with backgrounds in the following areas are encouraged to apply:

• Physics

• Materials Science and Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

• Electrical Engineering

• Applied Physics, Optics, or related disciplines

Experience in one or more of the following areas is particularly valuable:

• Laser and optical systems, including beam alignment and optical-path design

• Laser--material interactions, laser processing, or laser ablation

• Optical components and diagnostics

• Motorized stages, motion control, and precision positioning

• Experimental automation and instrument control

• Programming for automated experiments and data acquisition

• Feedback and control systems

• Development of custom experimental instrumentation

• Materials characterization and microscopy

• Quantitative data analysis

Candidates are not expected to have experience in all of these areas. We are particularly interested in researchers who are excited to develop new experimental capabilities and work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

This position is well-suited for someone who enjoys a combination of fundamental science and hands-on experimental development. The researcher will have significant opportunities to design and build new instrumentation, develop automated experimental workflows, and use these capabilities to investigate fundamental questions surrounding laser--material interactions and selective processing.

The broader goal is to create high-throughput, automated platforms capable of rapidly exploring laser-processing parameter spaces and identifying conditions for precise and selective modification of materials.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

The position will be for a 6-month period and will be located on the University of Michigan North Campus.

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.