Postdoctoral Research Associate - Separation Materials & Processes

Requisition Id 3894 

Purpose

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking to fill a Postdoctoral Research Position in our Chemical Process Science Research Group in the Energy and Transportation Science Division. The postdoc will become part of our separations team as well as part of the Bioprocessing Separations Consortium program that involves on-going collaborations among multiple national laboratories. The successful candidate will conduct research in membrane/adsorbent materials synthesis and separation/purification process development for producing biomass/CO₂ to biofuels and high-value chemicals. Research will include development of membrane and sorbent materials including but not limited to ceramic/polymeric/hollow fiber membranes/sorbents for enhanced water/ion/gas transport, highly selective organic molecule extraction processes, and adsorptions.

The research spans basic to applied research in bioenergy, transportation, and energy storage programs. The candidate will be expected to work in multi-disciplinary teams. The Bioprocessing Separations Consortium is a highly collaborative interdisciplinary team of chemical engineers, material scientists, physical chemists, electrochemists and biochemical engineers/scientists working toward advance functional materials and processes for separations and catalytic conversions of biomass and derived intermediates; more information can be found at www.bioesep.org. The postdoc will be encouraged to collaborate with the consortium team as well as other ORNL researchers and actively present results at team meetings and conferences.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Responsible for developing and progressing membrane separations: in materials/coating synthesis as well as separation process development. Membrane/sorbent materials of interest include polymeric coatings on porous substrates and functionalized resins, hollow fibers and hydrophobic/hydrophilic thin film coating.
• Participate in aspects of adsorbent development involving chemical synthesis of resins (polymeric/inorganic sorbents and surface functionalization), materials characterizations, and process performance simulations and evaluations.
• Work with the principal investigator and others as a team player to maintain a high level of scientific productivity and to meet project/task milestones.
• Responsible for preparing, presenting, and reporting research results and publishing scientific results in key peer-reviewed journals in a timely manner.
• Work with the principal investigator as necessary in developing new ideas and extended proposals beyond the scope of currently sponsored project(s).
• Ensure compliance with environment, safety, health and quality program requirements.
• Maintain strong dedication to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics.

Basic Qualifications:

•  Ph.D. in chemical engineering, chemistry (polymer, organic synthetic), materials science and engineering, biochemical engineering, or a closely related discipline completed within the last five years.
• Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An excellent record of productive and creative research demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate in English to an international scientific audience
• Capable of conducting creative research independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and interact effectively with a broad range of colleagues
• Ability to function well in a dynamic research environment, set priorities to accomplish tasks on time, and adapt to ever-changing needs
• Hands-on experience in membrane fabrication (polymeric, and composites), characterization, and experimental evaluations (liquid and gas phase)
• Strong background and interest in separations involving membranes, adsorbents, molecularly selective extractions, superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic coatings for dewatering and CO₂ separations
• Familiarity with biomass and CO₂ conversion and upgrading pathways of biomass to fuels and chemicals, as well as the associated separation needs
• Familiarity with advanced electron microscopy and related nanoscale characterization tools for microporous and dense materials and structures for in-depth material chemistry and nanostructure analysis
• Knowledge in separation process Aspen modeling and molecular computation simulation is a plus

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.