Postdoctoral Associate or Research Associate

Requisition Number:

70549

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

Research Faculty

Schedule:

Full-Time

Posting Close Date:

02-Apr-2026

Date Posted:

19-Mar-2026

Job Summary

Development of metrics and application benchmarks for Daffodil, a new memory device characterization platform being developed at NIST. Daffodil is a versatile test vehicle capable of accommodating all types of two-terminal memory devices for rapid characterization. In collaboration with Western Digital, we have already demonstrated its applicability spin transfer torque magneto-resistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) technology. While the initial version of Daffodil provided a proof-of-concept demonstration, we are continuing to develop Daffodil into a plug-and-play, open-source analog memory characterization and benchmarking platform that offers a turnkey product suitable for both academic and industrial settings. The candidate will develop metrics and application benchmarks in close collaboration with the engineers working on the hardware platform and with feedback from many industrial and academic groups. The project will involve machine learning and machine learning training, physical device modeling, programming and FPGA programming. The position is based in NIST, Boulder but will also involve travel and collaboration between NIST Boulder and NIST Gaithersburg (2-4 trips per year).

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

PREP is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists.

The particular group that needs a researcher is the Sources and Detectors Group at NIST.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Evaluation and synthesis of existing benchmarking tools.
Testing different machine learning training methods for application benchmarks.
Evaluation and implementation of memory device test methods.
Developing physical device models for emerging memory technologies (e.g. ReRAM and MRAM devices).

What You Should Know

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate the administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated. By applying to a CHIPS-funded PREP opportunity, you also acknowledge that participation in the project requires signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to beginning any work.

What We Can Offer

The salary range for the full-time Postdoctoral Associate position is $74,000 - $108,000 annually.
The salary range for the full-time Research Associate position is $78,000 - $135,000 annually.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Postdoctoral Associate: A PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field with 0 – 4 years of post-doctoral degree experience.
Research Associate: A PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field with 5+ years of post-doctoral degree experience.

What We Would Like You to Have

Familiarity with memory devices and CMOS fabrication.
Ability to collaborate with many groups, synthesize data and present it in a compelling way.
Familiarity with multiple scripting languages. Familiarity with Spice, Verilog and/or Cadence a plus.
Ability to develop prototypes of tools needed to analyze data.
Strong oral and written communication skills.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Resume or CV
Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment.

During the application process you will need to enter contact information for a reference. We will request the letter of recommendation immediately following your application.

Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until April 2nd, 2026.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.