Project Postdoctoral Fellow

About the project: The project aims to develop and validate a PVD coating system with optical and mechanical properties comparable to those required for 24K Gold aesthetics, while maintaining high hardness and suitability for industrial applications. The work will involve optimization of coating process parameters and material stoichiometry, followed by characterization and standardized durability testing. The project will also focus on establishing a reproducible process for achieving the desired optical appearance and performance of the coating.
Essential Qualification: Ph. D* from a reputed university/institute and an excellent track record and publications /patents in a research area relevant to the sponsored project.
*duration in Ph.D. degree, after three years will be considered as research experience.
Desirable Qualifications: PhD in Engineering
Desirable Skills: Experience in PVD coating processes and thin-film deposition; experience with computational simulation and modeling (MATLAB, COMSOL, FilmStar DESIGN, TFCalc or similar) of multilayer thin film coating stacks, hands-on experience with characterization techniques such as XRD and SEM; experience in hardness and adhesion testing; familiarity with optical/colorimetric characterization and process parameter optimization; and understanding of coating composition, stoichiometry and structure-property relationships.
Areas of Educational Qualification - Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Energy Science, or related fields.
Salary: INR 65,000.00 per month (Consolidated)
Nature of position: Full time, Contractual
Duration of appointment: 1 year.
Nature of work: The successful candidate is expected to perform the following tasks:
Conduct PVD coating trials and optimize deposition process parameters for achieving the desired coating properties and appearance.
Optimize coating composition/stoichiometry (through experimental and computational methods) and evaluate its effect on optical, mechanical and durability characteristics.
Perform characterization and validation of coatings using techniques including XRD, SEM, hardness, adhesion and colorimetric/optical measurements.
Conduct standardized durability testing and analyze experimental results to establish a reproducible coating process.
Develop and document the optimized process parameters and prepare prototype samples and technical reports based on the project requirements.
Apart from these, the candidate may have to undertake any work assigned by the PI, relevant to the objectives of the project.
Compensation & benefits: The candidate will get the opportunity to work in a highly motivating and supportive environment and can avail the hostel/family accommodation facility (according to availability, as per institute norms) at IIT Kanpur.
How to apply: Interested candidates may directly email to sudarshan@iitk.ac.in with their CV/Resume and a short description of experience relevant to the project, by October 15th, 2026.
Please mention “Application for Project Post-doctoral Fellow – PVD Coatings Stacks” in the subject line of the email.
Last date of application: October 15th, 2026
Selection: The PI and the SEE department reserve the right to fix suitable criteria for shortlisting of eligible candidates satisfying qualifications and experience. The selection will be based on online interview. Short listed candidates will be informed via email about the date of interview.
Dr. Sudarshan Narayanan
Assistant Professor
Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering
IIT Kanpur

Work arrangement
No