Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Systems Engineering and Photonics)

Department: College of Engineering and Computing

Classification: Post Doc 12 month

Job Category: Postdoctoral Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The C5I Center at Mason is the nation's first and only civilian university-based center offering a comprehensive academic and research program in Military/National Security applications of information technology and cyber security. The Center's mission is to perform advanced research in defense, intelligence, and security-related applications in IT and Cyber, bridging cultural gaps and aligning requirements between government, industry, and academia. It serves as a multi-disciplinary hub connecting faculty and researchers wanting to work on areas related to the Center's mission and is widely recognized as a premier source of knowledge and innovation to military and civilian authorities.

About the Position:

The George Mason University Center of Excellence in C5I is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct research that investigates Systems Engineering principles for design, test, and evaluation of Free Scape Optics Communication (FSOC) systems. As a R1 university, Mason has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.

Responsibilities:

The candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary team developing novel techniques for integrating and implementing system of systems solutions with free space optical communication devices, primarily focused on Photonics and LASER-based communication. Specific responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to:

• Research, development, and testing of FSOC and photonics-based communication solutions for integrating distributed systems;
• Perform link budget, data rates, and bandwidth analysis for FSOC in simulation environments;
• Research and develop communication protocols to support system of systems integration with distributed photonics devices;
• Perform acquisition and beam tracking subject to various environmental considerations;
• Conduct system level trade-off analysis with modeling and simulation tools (e.g., STK, SysML, MATLAB, etc.);
• Mentor Ph.D., Master, and Undergraduate student researchers; and
• Prepare and/or review manuscripts for publication in leading journals and peer-reviewed academic conferences.

Required Qualifications:

• Candidates must have earned a doctorate in systems engineering, physics, electrical engineering, optical engineering, or a closely related engineering field to apply for this position;
• Candidates must possess, have experience on, and be able to demonstrate strong skills in optical communication systems and system level design and engineering;
• Candidates must possess the ability to work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team; and
• Must be a (1) U.S. citizen, or (2) lawful permanent resident as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20), or (3) other protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or (4) Canadian citizen (pursuant to the principles underlying the Canada U.S. Free Trade Agreement).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Have publications in academic, peer-reviewed venues in the areas of System Engineering, Optical Communications, Photonics Engineering, and/or closely related fields;
• Have experience in conducting system design and trade-off analysis using modeling and simulation tools such as STK, Model-based System Engineering, Systems Modeling Language, and MATLAB; and
• Have experience in communication system design, communication protocols, acquisition, and beam tracking with FSOC, Photonics and/or RF communication systems.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Systems Engineering and Photonics) at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume. The review of applications will begin July 2, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Posting Open Date: May 24, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: July 1, 2024

Open Until Filled?: Yes