Postdoctoral Fellow, The Prediction of Structure-borne Sound in Building Constructions

Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.
- The _Employment Equity Act_, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.

**City**: Ottawa

**Organizational Unit**: Construction

**Classification**: RO

**Tenure**: Term

**Duration**:2 years

**Language Requirements**: English

**Work arrangements**: Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement (combination of working onsite and telework). Employees in this position who telework will be required to travel to the designated work site at least three times per week or a minimum of 60% of their regular work schedule at their own expense.

**The program**:
The NRC’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program offers PDFs access to unique world-class facilities and the opportunity to work alongside multi-disciplinary teams of expert researchers and technicians on projects of critical importance to Canada. PDFs will carry out research on innovative research projects, with opportunities for career development (publications and/or industry interaction).

**Project title**:
The measurement and prediction of structure-borne noise in timber buildings

**The role**:
Unwanted noise from neighbors can be an annoyance and the building acoustics team within the Construction Research Centre at the NRC has for decades been publishing guides for reducing neighbor noise through the use of models to predict how a building will sound to its residents before the building is even built. By using the models, problems can be avoided at the design stage and compliance with the acoustic requirements in building codes can be demonstrated. Many of the models are empirical and require measurement data from the state-of-the-art acoustic laboratories at the NRC. The measurements include using accelerometers and electrodynamic shakers to quantify the structure-borne noise transmitted through building elements and the junctions between them. The measurements are made in dedicated flanking facilities and using full scale mock-up junctions of mass timber elements. There are less than a handful of labs or experts in the world who make these measurements and the acoustics team is searching for a postdoc to work as part of the team to learn how to make the measurements and to analyze the data to add to the prediction models.

**Education**:
PhD in a relevant field of engineering such as acoustic, civil or mechanical.

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

**Experience**:

- Experience with experimental design and analysis including data collection and analysis. Measurement experience using accelerometers would be particularly useful.
- Experience with building acoustic measurements (for example: transmission loss, sound power, sound intensity) would be an asset.
- Experience working as a member of the research team as well as working independently.

**Language requirements**:
English

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

**Condition of employment**:
Reliability Status

For a Reliability Status, verification of background information over a period of 5 years is required.

**Who is eligible?**:

- Fellowships will be for two years contingent on satisfactory progress achieved during the first year.
- Fellows will work in a lab under the direct supervision of an NRC researcher.
- Exceptions may be considered to recognize personal or family related leave. Please connect with us using the contact information below to discuss in more detail.

**Application requirements**:

- Resume
- Statement of Interest in the project (maximum one page in length)
- PhD Transcript - an electronic copy is sufficient, it does not have to be an official version.
- List of Publications

In addition, applicants who best meet the requirements of the position will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation at a later stage of the competition process.

**Compensation**:
The intent of this hiring action is to staff the position at the AsRO level, which is an early-career level position with a salary range of $83,985 to $116,641. This wide range accounts for varying degrees of expertise and impact, and growth within the role.

The NRC is committed to supporting career progression within the organization, providing access to the opportunities and resources needed for a pathway to a fulfilling career. NRC employees also enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including a robust pension plan, comprehensive health and dental coverage, disability and life insurance, office closure at the end of December, and additional supports to enhance your well-being throughout your career and beyond.

**Discover the possible**:
Anything is possible at the NRC, named in 2025 one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young Peo