Research Associate, Mechnical Engineering in Cockrell School of Engineering Full-time

Research Associate, Mechanical Engineering in Cockrell School of Engineering

Hiring Department: Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Sep 01, 2026

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

General Notes

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation's most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America's Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city's innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

UT Austin, recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers, provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 7.75% employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

Responsibilities

• Major responsibilities include commissioning and operating the AM equipment within the facility; training users in the operation and maintenance of the equipment; performing routine maintenance and overseeing essential repairs of the equipment; and managing routine facility operation, including logs, bookkeeping, billing, maintenance records, and safety.
• This position is responsible for making recommendations and assisting in the purchase, installation, and commissioning of new equipment.
• Liaising with external users from UT Austin, other universities, government laboratories, and industry; providing outreach, and tours for the general public; assisting with workshops and training sessions for the university and the general public.
• Writes several major research proposals and serves as a co-PI on at least one research projects. Mentor graduate and undergraduate students who utilize CAMDI facilities.
• Participating in proposal writing as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in physics, chemistry, or any engineering discipline.
• Five (5) years of experience with at least four (4) years of AM experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency in metal and polymer powder bed fusion (PBF).
• Experience with operating metal and polymer PBF machines is required, including powder preparation and handling and post-processing of parts.

Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four (4) years of AM experience.
• Established record of peer reviewed publications and experience with various AM technologies.
• Experience in the design and fabrication of AM equipment.
• Experience in design of parts for AM and fabrication of parts with AM equipment, especially metal and polymer PBF.
• Experience in management of a multi-user facility (training, maintenance, repair and invoicing).
• Strong commitment to creativity and rigorous multi-disciplinary problem solving.

Salary Range

$90,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Use of manual dexterity.
• Uniforms and/or personal protection equipment (furnished).
• May work around chemicals, chemical fumes, metallic and polymer powders
• May work around electrical and mechanical hazards.
• Lifting and moving is required.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Letter of interest
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.