Research Scientist - Ceramist

Scientist Specializing In Advanced Ceramic Materials And Coating Systems

As a Scientist specializing in advanced ceramic materials and coating systems, the successful candidate will contribute to research and development efforts focused on the design, optimization, and qualification of next-generation ceramic coatings, with emphasis on thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems. This role requires strong knowledge of ceramic materials, ceramic chemistry, coating architectures, high-temperature alloy systems, and degradation mechanisms in extreme environments.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of computational and experimental materials science to accelerate coating and alloy development through a combination of modeling, characterization, and laboratory-scale validation.

• Contribute to early-stage research and applied initiatives in advanced ceramic coating systems, including thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and related protective coatings such as abradable, low-friction, wear-resistant, anti-corrosion, and environmental barrier coatings.
• Design and optimize coating chemistries, including dopant selection, phase stabilization strategies, and compositional tailoring to enhance thermal stability, sintering resistance, toughness, and resistance to extreme environments.
• Develop novel coating compositions for topcoats and bond coat-compatible systems suitable for extreme turbine operating temperatures.
• Establish microstructure-property-performance relationships for coating systems under cyclic thermal and mechanical loading.
• Evaluate coating degradation mechanisms, including phase transformation, thermally grown oxide (TGO) evolution, sintering behavior, and environmental attack.
• Collaborate with process engineers to translate coating chemistry into scalable deposition methods (e.g., APS, SPS, EB-PVD, HVOF, VPS).
• Support technology development efforts in collaboration with GE Vernova businesses and research teams to advance future coating technologies and product roadmaps.
• Lead high-temperature testing programs, including thermal cycling, burner rig testing, oxidation testing, and environmental durability assessments.
• Drive innovation through publications, patents, and proposal development for internally and externally funded programs.
• Identify and develop collaborative relationships with academic institutions, national laboratories, industry partners, government agencies, and GE Vernova experts to maximize technical impact.
• Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams including materials scientists, mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, modelers, and quality specialists.

• PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline with 0 years of experience.
• 3+ years of experience in advanced ceramics, coatings, high-temperature alloys, computational materials science, or related materials technologies through doctoral research, publications, internships, or other relevant research experience.

• Due to the nature of the duties of this position, this role requires the individual to be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance. A prerequisite for a security clearance is U.S. Citizenship.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY.

• Designing and modifying ceramic coating chemistries.
• Phase equilibria, thermodynamics, and high-temperature kinetics of ceramic materials.
• High-temperature alloy design and behavior, including phase stability, oxidation resistance, creep, diffusion, and environmental degradation.
• High-temperature oxidation, corrosion, and environmental degradation mechanisms.
• Integrated computational and experimental approaches for advanced materials development, including CALPHAD, computational thermodynamics, materials informatics, machine learning, finite element modeling, or related tools.
• Bridging computational predictions with experimental validation to establish composition-process-microstructure-property-performance relationships in advanced materials systems.
• Strong background in microstructural characterization techniques (SEM, TEM, XRD, EBSD, EDS) and thermal/mechanical property evaluation.
• Practical knowledge of safety practices related to experimental design and laboratory operations.
• Experience working with coating deposition technologies relevant to turbine components.
• Research experience in ceramic coatings, high-temperature materials, thermal barrier coatings, environmental barrier coatings, or related advanced materials systems.
• Experience developing next-generation TBC chemistries beyond conventional systems, including strong understanding of thermodynamics, degradation kinetics, phase stability, and diffusion in high-temperature material systems.
• Familiarity with computational thermodynamics (CALPHAD), ICME methodologies, materials modeling, or materials informatics…