Research Technical Staff, Civil and Environmental Engineering

## Research Technical Staff, Civil and Environmental Engineering Apply:
Colorado:
Full time:
Posted 2 Days Ago:
JR110030
** Engineering a world of possibilities
** Colorado School of Mines (Mines), Civil and Environmental Engineering department, is seeking a Research Technical Staff hire to support our research on chemically modified biochar for use in cementitious composites.  This is a one-year position with the possibility of extending a second year, pending funding and performance. This position will lead laboratory investigations aimed at improving the performance of biochar as a functional additive and supplementary cementitious material in concrete through targeted chemical modification.

This position will design and execute surface treatment and functionalization strategies (e.g., oxidative treatments, chemical grafting, mineral coatings, or impregnation approaches) to tune biochar surface chemistry, wettability, and reactivity, and will systematically characterize the resulting materials. These modified biochars will be evaluated in cement paste, mortar, and concrete systems for their effects on hydration, workability, mechanical performance, and durability. This position will work closely with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and industry collaborators to translate promising modification routes toward scalable processes.

Additional responsibilities include lab management, preparing project reports, scholarly publications, and research proposals.  
** PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
*** Design and conduct chemical modification and functionalization of biochar to improve its performance in cementitious systems
* Characterize the physical and chemical properties of raw and modified biochars and evaluate their performance in cement paste, mortar, and concrete
* Prepare research manuscripts and technical reports
* Assist with mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students and training of research collaborators
* Assist with preparing research proposals resulting from the conducted research
* Assist with managing equipment, supplies, and cleanliness of laboratory spaces  
** Minimum Qualifications
*
* Education and Experience:

* Bachelor’s degree in a related field (chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, civil engineering, or other related fields)  + For employees serving in a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator role: A PhD is required; however, a Bachelor’s degree and three years of an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
* Demonstrated hands-on experience with chemical synthesis and/or surface modification of materials  Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
* Excellent communication skills, both oral and written  
** Preferred
*
* Education and Experience:

* Advanced degree in a related field (chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, civil engineering, or other related fields)  Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
* Prior experience with carbon-based materials (biochar, activated carbon, carbon black, graphene oxide, or similar)
* Strong publication record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
* Experience with surface chemistry characterization techniques such as FTIR, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, zeta potential, BET surface area analysis, TGA, or contact angle/wettability measurements
* Familiarity with cementitious materials or willingness to learn independently
* Experience with materials characterization equipment such as SEM-EDS, XRD, XRF, ICP-AES, or Micro-CT
* Interest in working at the interface of academic research and industry translation
** About Mines & Golden, CO
** When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.  Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university…