Postdoctoral Researcher – Process modeling and sustainability analysis plastics upcycling

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher – Process modeling and sustainability analysis for plastics upcycling &[...]

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Process modeling and sustainability analysis for plastics upcycling & biorefining

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week

40

Working at NLR

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world‑class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost‑effective energy solutions.

Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you’ll find a mission‑driven environment supported by state‑of‑the‑art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well‑being.

Job Description

The Catalytic Carbon Transformation & Scale‑Up Center at NLR has an opening for a full time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Economic, Sustainability, and Market Analysis group. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years.

The successful candidate will support several DOE‑funded consortia efforts including the Bioprocessing Separations Consortium, BOTTLE consortium, and the Agile Bio Foundry.

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This position will work with a dynamic, multi‑disciplinary experimental team and analysis will be expected to guide experimental research efforts. The candidate will work with Aspen Plus and other process modelling tools.

Responsibilities

• Assimilate a wide variety of information into assessments
• Contribute to the planning and execution of research and analysis
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both written and oral
• Author peer‑reviewed publications
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers, chemists, and biologists

Basic Qualifications

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional

Required Qualifications

• Research experience with an emphasis on chemical process development
• Demonstrated experience with process modelling with Aspen Plus
• Demonstrated experience with statistical analysis (i.e. sensitivity or uncertainty)
• PhD degree in chemical engineering or related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with programming languages, such as Python or R
• Demonstrated experience with LCA tools, such as open
  
  LCA or Sima Pro
• Understanding of biomass conversion research and processes
• Relevant experience with sustainable materials and green chemistry practices

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full‑time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile:
Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $74,900 - $123,600

NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits

Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short‑term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement‑based awards that include a monetary component. Some…