Postdoctoral Fellow; PREP

Salary: $82,000-$89,000 a year

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program, which allows research staff to collaborate with academic institutions on projects of mutual interest. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

A postdoctoral fellow is sought for a position in Structural Engineering to contribute to cutting‑edge work on resilience‑based seismic design of steel structures. This opportunity is part of a high‑impact research effort focused on advancing the science of seismic design to enable the functional recovery of steel buildings at both the component and system levels. The researcher will collaborate closely with leading experts at NIST and academia to accelerate the development of next‑generation seismic design and post‑earthquake evaluation procedures.

• Synthesize knowledge from past experimental tests and high‑fidelity models of structural steel components.
• Develop new nonlinear finite element models to address key data gaps in steel component behavior.
• Develop and validate functional recovery design limits for various steel components and systems.
• Translate findings into technical guidance that informs seismic design for functional recovery, post‑earthquake assessment, and decision‑making for structural engineers.
• Conduct nonlinear dynamic analyses and consequence modeling across a suite of steel building archetypes to demonstrate the real‑world application of the developed procedures.
• Prepare high‑quality research papers for peer‑reviewed journals, and present findings at national conferences.

• U.S. citizenship is preferred.
• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus on the behavior of steel structures.
• Strong background in the experimental testing of structural steel components and nonlinear analysis of steel systems, with emphasis on seismic effects.
• Experience in developing high‑fidelity finite element models of steel components and calibrating them to test results.
• Experience in developing and validating high‑fidelity finite element models for steel buildings.
• Experience in developing and validating steel component modeling parameters against experimental outcomes and finite element models.
• Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong publication record in leading peer‑reviewed journals.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is committed to equal opportunity for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic.