Research Associate, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Posting

Title:

Research Associate, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Hiring Department: McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

FLSA Status: Exempt

Earliest

Start Date:

May 31, 2025

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2028

Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

Salary Range: $80,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions: May work around standard office conditions

Physical Tasks: Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation;
Use of manual dexterity

Required Materials: Resume/CV; 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor;
Letter of interest

A Research Associate position is available in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, supervised by Professor Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz. This position will include work on a variety of air quality measurement studies in the laboratory and in the field and will also include project management and mentorship opportunities and responsibilities, as described in more detail below.

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 7.75% employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs:
  Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through Linked In Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin Cap Metro buses with staff

• Ambient measurements (requires travel): Conduct ambient measurement campaigns utilizing stationary and mobile measurement platforms (requires Texas driver's license), in collaboration with other team members and collaborators. Take a leading role in coordinating measurement plans and other project activities, including analysis of data. Total travel depends on project details; we estimate approximately 2 weeks of travel every 2-3 months.
• Communication: Prepare scientific papers and reports; present scientific results to collaborators and sponsors, and at major conferences. Communicate results to non-technical audiences in industry, government, and the public.
• Laboratory chamber experiments: Conduct laboratory chamber experiments in collaboration with other team members and collaborators. Take a leading role in planning experiments and analysis of data.
• Project Management: Propose, plan, schedule, coordinate, complete and report the detailed phases of parts of ongoing projects in the group; devise new approaches to problems encountered. Lead and manage projects involving multiple universities and outside organizations to ensure deadlines and deliverables are completed on schedule.
• Mentorship: Mentor students, post-doctoral scholars, and other personnel on projects by training them, organizing and conducting regular meetings, and tracking progress throughout the duration of the project.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or closely related discipline.
• Proficiency in using advanced mass spectrometric instrumentation, including chemical ionization mass spectrometers or aerosol mass spectrometers, or closely related instrumentation.
• Proficiency in quantitative analyses utilizing mass spectrometric instrumentation.
• Proficiency in Igor Pro and mass spectrometric data analysis using this software.
• Ability to communicate research in writing and orally to broad audiences.
• Ability to obtain UT Austin driver status, which requires a Texas driver's license (needed to conduct mobile measurements).

• Postdoctoral research experience.
• Mentoring experience.
• Fieldwork experience.
• Demonstrate…