Postdoctoral Research Associate

Location: Durham

USNH Employees should apply within Workday through the Jobs Hub app Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in Prof. Mrityunjay Kothari’s group. The focus of the position is to advance the theoretical and computational mechanics of soft solids under coupled physical environments. The position is situated within a sponsored research program on the finite-deformation mechanics of soft and biological materials, where the central questions concern how large elastic deformation couples to additional fields—thermal, transport, phase-change, and damage—within a rigorous continuum framework.

The researcher will develop continuum theories and the corresponding finite-element implementations that resolve these couplings, translate constitutive theory into verified numerical code, and publish results in leading mechanics journals. Beyond core research, the position offers opportunities to develop collaborations, to gain structured experience in research-proposal writing, and to mentor graduate and undergraduate students, preparing the candidate for an independent research career.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible appointment, renewable contingent on performance and continued funding, and is not considered essential staff. The position is for one year initially, with renewal contingent on performance.

Duties/Responsibilities The primary duties of the position are to conduct research on the mechanics of soft solids and to develop the associated theoretical and computational tools.

Specific responsibilities include: formulating theories and experiments, computational models and their implementation (such as in FEniCS/FEniCSx and in Abaqus via user-element and user-material subroutines (UEL/UMAT)), preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and presenting results  researcher will also gain experience contributing to research proposals and technical reports for the sponsoring program, and will help mentor graduate and undergraduate students on theory, code, and experiment development.

Requirements Minimum Acceptable

Education & Experience:

Doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics, or Solid Mechanics completed by the start date.

Strong track record of high-quality publications in peer-reviewed journals; demonstrated research expertise in nonlinear (finite-strain) continuum mechanics and the mechanics of solids.

Demonstrated proficiency in finite-element implementation through at least one of FEniCS/FEniCSx or Abaqus user subroutines (UEL/UMAT) in Fortran, together with scientific programming in Python.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Strong command of solid mechanics, especially in finite deformation and coupled continuum theories.

Proven ability to translate continuum theory into verified finite-element code, including implementing custom elements and material models.

Strong written and oral scientific communication, evidenced by first-author publications and conference presentations.

Ability to work independently, manage research milestones, and collaborate within a multi-investigator project.

Other Requirements:

U.S. work authorization at the time of appointment; the candidate must be eligible to work on federally funded research.

Preferred Qualifications:

Candidate should have a PhD in Solid Mechanics specialization.

Experience with nonlinear elasticity, finite deformation mechanics, continuum mechanics, finite element implementation in FEniCS/FEniCSx/ABAQUS UEL,UMAT.Strong publication record in mechanics, materials, applied mathematics, or related journals.

Proficiency with HPC, parallel solvers (PETSc), and version control (Git).Applicant Instructions:

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following documents when applying online within the My

Experience:

Resume/CV section of the application: (Maximum of 5 Documents)
Resume/CVCover Letter Contact Information for 3 Professional References Additionally, upload the following documents within the Application Questions section of the application:

Research Statement Three representative publications with your contributions clearly identified

Applications that are missing any of the required items may not move…