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Job Description
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
CURRENT
PENN STATE EMPLOYEE
(faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. 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 login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants. 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
The Department of Polymer Science, Engineering, and Technology at Penn State Behrend seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to help establish a data-enabled autonomous polymer processing and interface engineering platform. The position is led by Prof. YuanQiao Rao, whose research focuses on processing-structure-interface-property relationships in multi-material polymer systems, with applications in overmolded electronics, advanced manufacturing, coatings, and sustainable polymer processing. The lab operates at the intersection of experimental polymer science, data-driven process optimization, and industry-engaged research. The successful candidate will work with faculty, students, and industry partners to develop experimental workflows connecting polymer materials, processing conditions, interface formation, characterization, and performance/reliability testing. The initial research direction is expected to focus on polymer/substrate interface reliability in overmolded electronics and composites, with possible extensions to coatings, membranes, and advanced polymer manufacturing. The position is well suited for a candidate with a builder mindset who is excited by both scientific discovery and laboratory/platform development. The postdoctoral scholar will help design experimental workflows, establish processing and testing protocols, build data-management practices, mentor undergraduate students, and contribute to publications, proposals, and industry-facing technical reports. Key Responsibilities Help establish a data-enabled polymer processing and characterization platform. Design and execute experiments on processing-structure-interface-property relationships. Develop DOE-based experimental plans for overmolding, composites, adhesion, and reliability studies. Support setup of sensor-rich or semi-automated processing/testing workflows. Develop SOPs for processing, testing, data capture, and sample handling. Conduct mechanical, interfacial, surface, and failure analysis experiments. Analyze data using statistical, DOE, and/or machine-learning-informed approaches as appropriate. Mentor undergraduate students working on related projects. Contribute to manuscripts, conference abstracts, technical reports, and external proposals. Support industry engagement and laboratory demonstrations. Required Qualifications Ph.D. in polymer science, materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related field by the appointment start date. Strong experimental background in at least one of the following areas: polymer processing; polymer interfaces or adhesion; coatings or thin films; composites or overmolding; mechanical testing and failure analysis; data-enabled manufacturing or automation. Ability to work independently in a developing laboratory environment. Strong written and oral communication skills. Interest in mentoring undergraduate students. Preferred Qualifications Experience with injection molding, extrusion, coating, additive manufacturing, or related polymer processing methods. Experience with adhesion testing, lap shear, peel testing, burst testing, leak testing, or fracture/failure analysis. Experience with surface treatments such as plasma, silane chemistry, oxidation, primers, or surface cleaning protocols. Experience with polymer/substrate interfaces, fiber-matrix interface, electronics packaging, or high-performance thermoplastics such as PPS, PEI, PEEK, LCP, or related materials. Experience with DOE, statistical analysis, Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, Arduino, PLCs, sensors, data acquisition, or machine-learning-assisted experimentation. Experience with microscopy, FTIR, XPS, contact angle, DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology, or related characterization methods. Demonstrated ability to build or improve experimental setups, workflows, or laboratory capabilities.
Appointment Start date:
Flexible; Target start of Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Earlier start dates may be considered for exceptional candidates. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Application Materials Applicants should submit:
Cover letter describing research experience, platform-building interests, and with qualifications for the position; Curriculum vitae; Research statement, preferably 2-3 pages, describing relevant experience and proposed contributions to autonomous polymer processing/interface engineering; Contact information for three references;
Optional:
one representative publication or technical report. System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit. About Penn State Behrend and PSET Penn State Behrend is a residential campus of The Pennsylvania State University located in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Department of Polymer Science, Engineering, and Technology (PSET) is a newly merged, growing department with strong industry connections in the Erie region and beyond, active partnerships with companies including RTP, Autodesk, Kyocera, Plastikos, and Poseidon, and a commitment to building a data-enabled polymer manufacturing research platform. For questions about the position, please contact Prof. YuanQiao Rao at yuanrao@psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
BENEFITS
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (
Note:
For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission. Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster PA State Labor Law Poster Penn State Policies Copyright Information Hotlines There's a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world's universities. Across 24 campuses, our 100,000 students and 40,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom - it's the positive impact made on communities across the world. Our ideals stem from our origins as Pennsylvania's sole land-grant institution, which allow us to continue to bring positive impact to humanity through our teaching, research, and engagement mission. And across the world is a community of Penn Staters - more than half a million strong - driven by that same spirit to serve our local and global communities. At Penn State, passion is met with collaboration in an environment that is rooted in shared pride for the accomplishments of our fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Penn Staters cheer each other on to build a culture committed to service and engagement. Our University values represent our core ethical aspirations for all our daily activities and actions as students, faculty, staff, and volunteers at Penn State. Our values are as follows; Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community. We Are Penn State. One Community. Impacting Many.
