Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Center Director

Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Center Director page is loaded## Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Center Director locations:
Penn State Altoona time type:
Full time posted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition :
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** APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:*** ## CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please to complete the. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.* ## CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please to complete the Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.* ## If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete .

** Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see .
** This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.
** POSITION SPECIFICS**# Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Center Director Rail Center for Research Enhancing Short-line Transportation (Rail CREST)
Penn State Altoona The Rail Center for Research Enhancing Short-line Transportation (Rail CREST) at Penn State Altoona invites applications for a
** Research Assistant Professor or open rank position
** to serve as Assistant Center Director. Rail CREST is a federally funded research center supported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) through the CRISI program. The center focuses on developing affordable technologies, workforce development programs, and safety innovations for the U.S. short-line railroad industry.

The Assistant Center Director will play a key leadership role in supporting the strategic growth and daily operation of Rail CREST, working closely with the Center Director, partner universities, industry partners, and federal stakeholders. The successful candidate will help coordinate research activities across multiple institutions while contributing technically to projects focused on rail infrastructure monitoring, sensing technologies, data analytics, and intelligent transportation systems.##

## Responsibilities
* Support the strategic planning and daily operation of the Rail CREST Center.
* Coordinate research activities across multiple partner universities and industry collaborators.
* Facilitate engagement with the Industrial Advisory Board, railroads, and federal stakeholders.
* Assist with the development of new research proposals and technology transfer initiatives.
* Lead and contribute to research projects related to rail infrastructure sensing, structural health monitoring, instrumentation systems, data analytics, and artificial intelligence applications in rail transportation.
* Manage or oversee field deployments, laboratory testing, and instrumentation development.
* Support workforce development and training programs associated with the center.
* Teach occasional undergraduate or graduate courses within the Rail Transportation Engineering (RTE) program when needed.
* Assist with industry-facing testing, demonstrations, and commercialization activities related to rail technologies.
* Supervise research staff, graduate students, and project teams.## ##

Required Qualifications
* Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Railroad Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
* Demonstrated research expertise in rail infrastructure, structural health monitoring, sensing systems, instrumentation, or transportation infrastructure analytics.
* Experience working with data-driven technologies such as sensor networks, machine learning, or AI-enabled infrastructure monitoring.
* Strong organizational and communication skills with the ability to coordinate multi-institutional research projects.
* Ability to work effectively with industry partners, government agencies, and academic collaborators.## ##

Preferred Qualifications
* Experience with railroad infrastructure systems including track, bridges, or railway operations.
* Experience deploying or managing…