Postdoctoral Researcher – Enzyme engineering cell- systems

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher – Enzyme engineering for cell-free systems

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Enzyme engineering for cell-free systems

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week

40

Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado and is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. 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 RRES Center is a talented team of scientists and technicians working in biological, chemical, and catalytic research. The center has strong thrusts in polymer design and upcycling, separations, synthetic biology and bioconversion, analytical sciences, computational modeling, and lignocellulosic chemistry and catalysis.

The successful candidate will work in the DOE‑funded ‘Integrating cell‑free systems and genome engineering to accelerate biosystems design for carbon‑negative biomanufacturing’ project to develop optimized cell‑free systems for the conversion of C1 substrates to sustainable biofuels and bioproducts. The role will require identifying, expressing, purifying, and assaying enzymes from full metabolic pathways, developing high‑throughput enzymatic assays for pathway validation, and working with data scientists to develop efficient cell‑free production pathways.

The project will be a collaboration done in close connection with industrial partners and researchers at NLR and collaborating institutions.

The successful candidate will utilize biochemical assays to measure enzyme activities and conduct directed evolution, structure‑guided protein engineering, and machine learning‑guided protein engineering studies to improve enzyme and pathway function. The ability to conduct laboratory experiments with minimal supervision with the utmost regard to safety is required, as well as the ability to learn new techniques and protocols.

Responsibilities

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats
• Author peer‑reviewed publications
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary, multi‑institutional team of engineers and scientists

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

• Experience with cloning, expression, and purification of proteins
• Experience with automation of biochemical assays
• Demonstrated experience in enzyme and/or protein engineering
• Ability to take initiative to set direction and goals for assigned tasks
• Troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills
• Strong record of quality peer‑reviewed publications
• Strong safety record
• Demonstrated ability to follow complex standard operating procedures with attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• Analytical chemistry experience with HPLC, GC‑FID, GC‑MS, and/or LC‑MS

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)

$74,900 – $123,600. NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and…