Postdoctoral Fellow

About this position

Pioneer the Future of Smart Materials

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Center for Advanced Smart Materials (CASM) | Yongjiang Laboratory (Y-Lab) | Ningbo, China

Yongjiang Laboratory (Y-Lab) , established in 2021 with robust and sustained government backing, is one of China's most heavily capitalized new R&D institutions—dedicated to research that bridges fundamental science and transformative technology. At its heart is the Center for Advanced Smart Materials (CASM) , a flagship 7,000 m² research facility designed for full-chain innovation: from discovery-level condensed matter physics to real-world technology transfer.

A Track Record of Global Impact

Led by Prof. Xiaobing Ren , an internationally recognized pioneer in ferroic smart materials ( 300+ publications; 30,000+ citations ), CASM has established global leadership in strain-glass physics and high-performance piezoelectrics. Recent landmark results:

• Science (2026): Super piezoelectric ceramics far exceeding conventional performance limits
• Nature (2024): "Super-flexible yet super-strong" strain glass metals—a new paradigm in metallic materials
• Aerospace deployment (collaborative): Strain-glass alloys—built on the foundational concept proposed by Prof. Ren and characterized by his group—were developed by our aerospace partners and successfully deployed in China's Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 lunar missions.

These achievements reflect 30+ years of sustained fundamental research and a proven capacity to translate frontier discoveries into cutting-edge technologies.

We Are Expanding — Join Us

CASM invites exceptional scientists with expertise in smart materials broadly defined, including but not limited to:

• Shape-memory and ferroelastic alloys
• Piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials
• Magnetostrictive and ferromagnetic materials
• Computational and AI-driven materials design
• Smart materials for advanced applications

Open Positions

Postdoctoral Fellows

We invite driven researchers with demonstrated excellence and the clear potential to become future scientific leaders.

We offer:

• Highly competitive salary — top-tier among Chinese research institutions
• World-class experimental and computational infrastructure
• Mentorship from internationally leading scientists
• Opportunities to drive innovative research directions within a highly collaborative environment
• A fast-track pathway to PI / Associate Professor appointment for exceptional candidates

Why CASM?

• Scale: Purpose-built 7,000 m² facility integrating discovery science, advanced characterization, and technology transfer under one roof
• Impact: Publications in Nature and Science — with continuing momentum
• Innovation: Strong backing to pursue ambitious, long-term research programs
• Resources: One of the most generously funded materials research centers in Asia Pacific
• Location: Ningbo — a beautiful, dynamic coastal city with excellent international connectivity, approximately 2 hours from Shanghai

How to Apply

Submit the following as a single PDF to casm-hr@ylab.ac.cn :

• Cover Letter — Specify your target position, outline your research vision, and highlight key accomplishments

• Curriculum Vitae — Including a complete publication list

• References — Contact details for three referees (letters requested upon shortlisting)

Email subject line: Application for [Postdoctoral Fellow] – [Your Name]

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early submission is encouraged.

Center for Advanced Smart Materials (CASM)

Yongjiang Laboratory (Y-Lab)

1519 Xinghai South Road, Zhenhai District

Ningbo, Zhejiang 315201, China

Email: casm-hr@ylab.ac.cn

Web: https://www.ylab.ac.cn/en/casm/positions/