Research Associate

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).

The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

Primary Location:

Bargaining Unit:

Yes

General Description

New York City College of Technology (City Tech), a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), is a comprehensive public institution located in downtown Brooklyn. City Tech serves a diverse student body through career-focused associate and bachelor’s degree programs in science, technology, health, and other applied fields. The Physics Department supports undergraduate education and active research in quantum and condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, geophysics, astrophysics, laser physics, and machine learning.

City Tech invites applications for a full-time Research Associate (Postdoctoral Fellow) to conduct grant-supported experimental research on light–matter interactions for quantum-information and quantum-communication applications. The successful candidate will develop and optically characterize advanced materials and devices, with emphasis on transition-metal dichalcogenides monolayers and heterostructures, and their interactions with single photons. The postdoctoral fellow will work collaboratively with the research team to advance new quantum-photonic technologies and disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations.

The position will begin on September 1, 2026, and is an in-person full-time appointment for up to one year. Renewal or extension is contingent upon funding availability, satisfactory performance, and alignment of the candidate’s research interests with those of City Tech.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctoral Degree in Physics, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with demonstrated research ability.

Other Qualifications

A preferred candidate should have:

• Demonstrated experience in experimental research on low-dimensional or quantum materials, including two-dimensional materials

• Experience with nanofabrication, microfabrication, device processing, or cleanroom-based fabrication methods

• Experience with optical characterization techniques, such as photoluminescence, reflectance, Raman spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, microscopy, or time-resolved optical measurements

• Experience designing, conducting, and troubleshooting optical experiments for materials or photonic devices

• Background in light-matter interactions, quantum optics, quantum photonics, single-photon measurements, or quantum-information science

• Experience integrating materials with optical or photonic devices and evaluating device performance

• Strong quantitative data-analysis skills and proficiency with scientific data-analysis tools

• A record of peer-reviewed publications or other scholarly research outputs

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment

• Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to prepare scientific reports, manuscripts, and presentations

Responsibilities

In addition to the responsibilities listed under General Description the Postdoctoral Fellow will:

• Conduct experimental research on transition-metal dichalcogenide and related quantum materials, with emphasis on light–matter interactions relevant to quantum-information and quantum-communication technologies.

• Design, fabricate, and/or integrate material systems and optical or photonic devices, as appropriate to the research objectives.

• Develop and execute optical-characterization experiments, including spectroscopy, microscopy, and photon-based measurements, to evaluate material and device properties.

• Analyze, validate, and interpret experimental data; maintain accurate experimental records; and prepare technical reports on research progress and results.

• Contribute to research planning, experimental design, and development of new measurement capabilities.

• Collaborate with the principal investigator, students, and internal and external research partners on multidisciplinary research activities.

• Prepare and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at conferences, seminars, and project meetings.

• Assist in mentoring undergraduate and graduate student researchers, as appropriate.

• Follow applicable laboratory safety, research-integrity, and ethical-conduct standards.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Pay Range:

Minimum - Maximum: $65,000

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals (link to https://www.rfcuny.org/RFWebsite)

About the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.