Research Fellow - Mechanical Engineering / Nanotechnology

About the role

The Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at NTU is looking for a Research Fellow to join its multidisciplinary team developing the next generation of metal multimaterial additive manufacturing. The fellow will work on a novel laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system, focusing on automation and control and on implementing an in-process monitoring system.

Key responsibilities

• Run systematic experimental campaigns in multimaterial LPBF, generating process, material and structural data for model development and validation.
• Develop and apply physics-based and data-driven models to describe, predict and optimise multimaterial LPBF processes, integrating in-situ monitoring, process parameters, material combinations and microstructural outcomes.
• Design and optimise multimaterial and functionally graded LPBF components, including lightweight lattices and architected structures, using DfAM guidelines.
• Study powder bed behaviour, melt pool dynamics and inter-material transition zones and their effect on stability, densification and performance.
• Analyse results to establish process-material-structure relationships and support automation, control and monitoring development.
• Document research, write technical reports and contribute to publications and presentations; support project planning and delivery.

Required profile

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Nanotechnology or a closely related discipline.
• Strong background in mathematical modelling of multiscale, multiphysics phenomena, with proven use of dimensional analysis, fractal analysis and hybrid physics-AI approaches.
• Ability to interpret complex process behaviour through fractal descriptors across additive manufacturing technologies.
• Experience implementing AI and data-driven methods for additive manufacturing, including ANNs and evolutionary genetic algorithms, with programming knowledge.
• Hands-on experience with LPBF, FDM, SLA/DLP and electrohydrodynamic processes (e-jet, electrospray, electrospinning).
• Materials characterisation experience covering microstructural, mechanical, thermal, surface and electrical properties.
• Ability to lead complex research tasks, manage multiple workstreams and communicate to academic and industrial stakeholders.

Required skills

• DfAM and topological optimisation of lattice structures
• CAD tools: Fusion 360, SolidWorks and nTop
• Programming: MATLAB, Python