Job Posting Title:

Research Associate, Center for Transportation Research, Cockrell School of Engineering

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Hiring Department:

Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Feb 01, 2025

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

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Job Details:

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 has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. The Center for Transportation Research (CTR) is a multidisciplinary and multimodal research institute situated within the Cockrell School.

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.

At UT Austin, we say “What starts here changes the world.”  As a member of the university community, you will be part of an organization that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will have meaning and make a difference not only in the lives of our faculty, staff, and students, but also those who are impacted by our first class academic and research programs.

The position is expected to end on August, 31/2026.

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

Purpose

To conduct transportation-related research within the smart structures research laboratory on ultrasonic sensing methods for damage detection in infrastructure systems, in particular metallic structures. This should include both hardware and software development.

Responsibilities

Assist in the development of research proposals and technical reports and technology-based projects.

Conduct project meetings, writing publications.

Support the supervision of undergraduate and graduate research assistants in conducting research activities.

Present research at professional conferences.

Other duties as required.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Civil/Mechanical Engineering or closely related fields.

Prior working experience in ultrasonic sensing methods for damage assessment, modeling wave propagation in metallic structures, and machine learning methods.

Experience working with teams of engineers, researchers and students.

Experience writing professional journal articles, conference papers and research reports.

Evidence of good project/laboratory management skills.

A strong work ethic with the ability to work independently as well as in a research group.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Strong coding knowledge of Python, Java, C++, LabView, Design of DAQ with National Instrument systems.

Understanding of professional and technical writing techniques.

Salary Range

$56,130 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

May work in all weather conditions

May work around standard office conditions

Use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

Resume/CV

3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Letter of interest

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.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.