Postdoctoral Fellow-Instrumented airfield pavements-Durable/sustainable concrete materials

Position Number: POST40

Department: College of Engineering (Col)

Employment Type: Temporary - Full-time

Months Per Year: 12

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will work on several ongoing and upcoming research projects supporting an improved understanding of concrete materials, mixtures, and testing technologies that advance the durability, sustainability, and constructability of pavement and structures. A key focus of the work will be supporting the installation, deployment, and development of instrumentation at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( CLT ) as part of a project funded by the Federal Aviation Administration’s ( FAA ) Airport Concrete Pavement Technology Program ( ACPTP ). This project will facilitate the development of a digital twin and provide extensive, long-term data to enhance the understanding of pavement performance and inform maintenance decisions. Information will be used to inform and enhance FAA’s existing pavement design tool FAARFIELD and other software programs, design and construction advisory circulars (ACs) such as FAA’s AC 150/5320-6G Airport Pavement Design and Evaluation and AC 150 5320-10H, and airport and stakeholder partner practices in design, construction, operation, and maintenance of airfield pavements.

Work outside the ACPTP project will include field and laboratory activities to support use of novel materials, tests, and analysis approaches for highway and aviation concrete materials and mixtures. Ongoing and upcoming research projects that the successful candidate will support are funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and private entities. Opportunities to engage with and support the growth of the Charlotte Aviation Innovation and Research ( AIR ) Institute will also be provided as part of the position’s duties.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Tara Cavalline and several doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students in a collaborative, supportive team environment. The candidate will engage with other researchers at UNC Charlotte and other universities as part of their project-related activities, and will assist in mentoring, training, and guiding graduate students executing and publishing research. UNC Charlotte and the AIM Lab team are committed to fostering an environment of support and inclusivity for all individuals.

A Postdoctoral Fellow (""postdoc"") is a professional apprenticeship designed to provide recent Ph.D. recipients with an opportunity to develop further the research skills acquired in their doctoral programs or to learn new research techniques, in preparation for an academic or research career. In the process of further developing their own research skills, it is expected that Postdoctoral Fellows will also play a significant role in the performance of research at the University and augment the role of graduate faculty in providing research instruction to graduate students. A Postdoctoral Fellow works under the supervision of a regular faculty member, who serves as a mentor to the Fellow, and it is expected that the faculty mentor will impart the realities, and variety, of scientific careers, and will encourage experiences outside the laboratory to broaden postdocs’ aspirations. Within the confines of the particular research focus assigned by that faculty member, the Postdoctoral Fellow functions with a considerable degree of independence and has the freedom (and is expected) to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of appointment. Thus, the role of Postdoctoral Fellows is clearly differentiated from full-time technical employees.

Postdoc appointments are characterized by all of the following conditions:

• the appointee was recently (within the last eight years) awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.);

• the appointment is temporary;

• the appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship;

• the appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic and/or research career;

• the appointee works under the supervision of a faculty member; and

• the appointee has the freedom and is expected to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of appointment.

Minimum Experience / Education:

The Postdoctoral appointee must have recently (within the last eight years) been awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.)

Preferred Education Skills and Experience:

The Advanced Construction Materials Laboratory ( AIM Lab) in the Albert School of Construction in the William States Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina is seeking a highly motivated and independent researcher for an open postdoctoral position starting in Winter 2026/2027 or Spring 2027.

The successful candidate will work on several ongoing and upcoming research projects supporting an improved understanding of concrete materials, mixtures, and testing technologies that advance the durability, sustainability, and constructability of pavement and structures. A key focus of the work will be supporting the installation, deployment, and development of instrumentation at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( CLT ) as part of a project funded by the Federal Aviation Administration’s ( FAA ) Airport Concrete Pavement Technology Program ( ACPTP ). This project will facilitate the development of a digital twin and provide extensive, long-term data to enhance the understanding of pavement performance and inform maintenance decisions. Information will be used to inform and enhance FAA’s existing pavement design tool FAARFIELD and other software programs, design and construction advisory circulars (ACs) such as FAA’s AC 150/5320-6G Airport Pavement Design and Evaluation and AC 150 5320-10H, and airport and stakeholder partner practices in design, construction, operation, and maintenance of airfield pavements.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD degree from a reputable university with a specialty of relevance such as Civil Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, or Construction Engineering

• Experience in concrete and cementitious materials and related construction practices as demonstrated through publications. Candidates must have experience in rigid (concrete) pavement design, with a preference given to those with experience in instrumentation, and data acquisition/analysis with large datasets

• Experience working in a laboratory setting with concrete and cementitious materials (mandatory) and experience with field testing and/or instrumentation of concrete pavements (preferred).

• Excellent spoken and written English communication skills

• An ability to work collaboratively with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as interdisciplinary faculty and support staff