Post-Doctoral Researcher - Electrochemical Safety Research Institute

Post-Doctoral Researcher

We have an exciting opportunity for a Post-Doctoral Researcher at UL Research Institutes (ULRI), Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) based in our Houston, TX, facilities. The Post-Doctoral Researcher will conduct independent research in preparation for a scientific career, supporting the energy storage and conversion safety research of ESRI.

Responsibilities include literature review; experimental design and execution; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; and preparation of technically sound, compliant reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for battery-related research projects.

This two-year postdoctoral appointment supports research programs focused on lithium-ion battery recycling, critical materials regeneration, and advanced battery technologies. The position contributes to laboratory-based research that integrates chemistry, electrochemistry, and safety science to develop sustainable, safe, advanced technologies with real-world relevance.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will work closely with ESRI scientists and external collaborators in a basic research environment, supporting multidisciplinary research efforts and contributing to the Institute's mission of advancing safety science and sustainability in energy storage systems.

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Electrochemical Safety teams who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put into practice.

The Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) investigates the safety and performance limits of energy technologies. Through our discovery-driven research, we innovate, test, model, and lay the foundation for electrochemical energy storage that is both safe and reliable. Our scientific research helps everyone in the energy storage and battery value chain — from cell and battery manufacturers, suppliers, and original equipment manufacturers to recyclers, shippers, and consumers — understand and thereby help minimize the various safety risks associated with batteries in various applications, including electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.

Collaborating with a wide variety of partners to help meet the world's energy safety needs, we disseminate information by convening a diverse group of stakeholders at events such as global battery summits and webinars to find data-driven solutions to new and emerging energy storage risks.

What you'll learn and achieve:

• Develop and conduct hands-on experimental research related to battery recycling, regeneration of critical materials, and advanced battery technologies in compliance with institutional, ULRI, and federal regulations.
• Perform laboratory testing, data analysis, and technical documentation to evaluate recycling processes, including hydrometallurgical and direct recycling, in accordance with ULRI safety and quality standards.
• Apply chemistry, electrochemistry, and chemical engineering principles to meet research objectives and exercise scientific and engineering concepts.
• Analyze complex and novel technical problems by developing or adapting experimental techniques and methods; recommend data-driven solutions.
• Support the dissemination of research through technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, data visualizations, and conference presentations in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Build foundational technical expertise to support ULRI's research strategy and thought leadership in battery safety and sustainability.
• Collaborate with and provide technical guidance to research partners and colleagues to support knowledge transfer based on subject matter…