Post-Doctoral Fellow

Position Summary:

The School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Fellow position to join Prof. Anthony Comer’s Simulation to Flight Applied Research Laboratory. The successful candidate will lead and conduct research focused on accelerating the ability for universities to perform subscale flight test research and novel control system architectures for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with both academic and industry partners as part of the LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility, a university-industry consortium.

Ideal candidates will have a strong background in flight dynamics, flight controls, flight hardware integration, flight testing, or related areas. Key responsibilities include conducting independent research, managing ongoing research projects, contributing to proposal development and peer-reviewed publications, and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. The candidate will perform scholarly work on subscale flight testing and flight control system design, including both fixed-wing and VTOL vehicle configurations. The candidate will also support the building and development of subscale prototypes and deliverable systems, acquire data, conduct simulations, and perform the corresponding reporting to research sponsors.

Responsibilities and Duties

50% – Research

• Develop and optimize novel research flight control laws for fixed-wing and VTOL subscale flight test vehicles with the intent for use at larger scale.
• Support the development of a standardized methodology for integration of custom flight control laws using MATLAB/Simulink in conjunction with the PX4 Autopilot Toolbox and Support for PX4 Autopilots Toolbox.
• Develop integration methodologies for companion computer support for Pixhawk-class flight controllers using the Support for PX4 Autopilots Toolbox in MATLAB/Simulink.
• Conduct experimental testing to validate simulation results and demonstrate new technologies.
• Support software and hardware development and facilitate technology transfer to industry partners.

20% – Research Management

• Manage project tasks to meet sponsor requirements and timelines.
• Maintain and update project plans and monitor budgets.
• Coordinate communication among team members and collaborators.

20% – Proposal Development & Professional Service

• Prepare research proposals for various funding agencies
• Assist with grant management, contract communications, and establishing partnerships.
• Represent the research group at conferences and professional events.
• Participate in peer review and professional societies.

10% – Student Mentoring

• Train and supervise students in experimental and modeling techniques.
• Guide data analysis and review technical documentation.
• Provide support on publications, presentations, and research communication.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a closely related field.
• Experience with subscale flight testing, including both simulation and experimental work.
• Demonstrated ability in developing flight simulation models with custom flight control system architectures.
• Experience supervising students and effectively communicating complex technical concepts.
• Strong record of scholarly research, with publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary will be commensurate with education, experience, qualifications and contingent on available funding. Benefits include comprehensive medical plans. Information on benefits can be found at https://hr.okstate.edu/benefits/index.html

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS:

The process of reviewing applications will begin soon and will continue until a successful candidate is selected.

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online at https://jobs.okstate.edu. A single pdf file is requested with your application. The file should include:

• a cover letter addressing research interest, experience and skills that fulfill the requirements;
• a Curriculum Vitae;
• a concise, two-page research statement (including figures, excluding references);
• a listing of three professional references with contact information.

Questions about the position should directed to Dr. Anthony Comer at anthony.comer@okstate.edu.