Temp Optical Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Information
General Information
Position Number
POST40
Working Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Division
Academic Affairs
Department
College of Science (Col)
Work Unit
Physics and Optical Science
Work Location
Vacancy Open To
All Candidates
Position Designation
Post Doc
Employment Type
Temporary - Part-time
Hours per week
40
Work Schedule
Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM
Pay Rate
$63,000
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.)
The employee must already have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and should be able to exercise scientific judgment on day-to-day basis. Strong experimental design skills, and an understanding of how light interacts with matter on the nanoscale are requirements.
US citizenship is required.
Departmental Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education:
It is preferred for the candidate to have a Ph.D. degree in Physics, Materials Science or in a related field and experimental background in one or several of the following areas: fiber optics, opto-couplers, nano- and micro-material development, optical spectroscopy, and thin film deposition techniques. Experience in developing and fully characterizing new materials will also be a benefit for the position.
Duties and Responsibilities
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.
The employee will carry out research in optical materials especially for applications in high power lasers. Specifically, they will work on creating micro or nano structures on surfaces optical substrates and optical fibers using micro-optics facilities at UNCC. The work may be carried out in association with the Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Lab, or other partnering institutions.
The post-doc will be engaged in developing micro-fabrication processes on glass and fibers for anti-reflectivity with applications in high laser power transmission, and photonic crystal fiber couplers. They will also work in the lab to develop processes to create microstructures in varieties of materials for the purpose of anti-reflection. They will characterize the samples, analyze the data, and interpret the results. They will also study the relevant literature and develop theoretical explanations or models for the results. They may also work on writing proposals for external funding. They will also prepare reports for briefing funding agents.
The post-doc will be allowed to act independently, but will receive close guidance and direction from Prof. Aggarwal and Prof. Hutchens so as to maintain a focused research objective.
As an EOE/AA employer and an ADVANCE Institution that strives to create an academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte encourages applications from all underrepresented groups. Applicants subject to criminal background check.
Other Work/Responsibilities
The employee will not supervise other employees or student workers in an official capacity, but will be expected to monitor and mentor students and other members of the research group.
Necessary Licenses or Certifications
Proposed Hire Date
01/02/2026
Contact Information
Expected Length of Assignment
Posting Open Date
11/14/2025
Posting Close Date
12/15/2025
Special Notes to Applicants