Critical Mineral Resources Extraction Postdoctoral Researcher

** What You Will Do*
* Join one of the world's premier multidisciplinary research institutions and contribute to developing next-generation technologies for critical mineral recovery.

The  
** National Security Earth Science Group (EES-17)
** within the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to advance innovative technologies for the extraction and separation of critical elements.

Our team has developed a novel hydrothermal separation process that exploits favorable thermodynamic conditions to selectively separate rare earth elements and other critical materials/minerals at elevated temperatures. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team working to optimize this separation technology through integrated hydrothermal processing, thermodynamic modeling, structural characterization, and electrochemical recovery of high-purity critical mineral products.

Research activities will include:

+ Development and optimization of hydrothermal separation processes for critical minerals.

+ Thermodynamic modeling and experimental validation of mineral-fluid interactions.

+ Hydrothermal synthesis and reaction pathway optimization.

+ Advanced structural and spectroscopic characterization using LANL's and other DOE user facilities.

+ Integration of electrochemical deposition methods to recover high-purity critical mineral products.

+ Collaboration on process scale-up and evaluation of industrial implementation strategies.

You will have the opportunity to work with researchers across chemistry, geoscience, materials science, and computational modeling while leveraging state-of-the-art laboratory and national user facilities. You will be expected to publish research in leading peer-reviewed journals, present results at national and international conferences, and contribute to the development of new research directions.

The  
** National Security Earth Science Group (EES-17)
** is a multidisciplinary research group that develops innovative geophysical methods, advanced numerical models, and data-driven approaches to investigate Earth processes and improve our understanding of the physical mechanisms that govern them. Our research addresses complex Earth science challenges in support of national security. Our scientists integrate field observations, laboratory experiments, remote sensing, open access data, and computational modeling to study Earth processes across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales while collaborating across the Laboratory on emerging scientific and national security priorities.

** What You Need*
* ** Minimum

Job Requirements:

*
* Candidates with experience in the following areas are encouraged to apply:

+ Conducting hands-on laboratory experiments involving chemical synthesis, mineral processing, and/or materials characterization.

+ Acquiring thermodynamic data using calorimetry or related techniques.

+ Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research while contributing effectively to collaborative, multidisciplinary projects.

+ Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

** Desired

Qualifications:

*
* Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:

+ Critical mineral extraction and separation

+ Thermodynamic modeling of aqueous or hydrothermal systems

+ Material/mineral synthesis using hydrothermal and other methods

+ Advanced material characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman spectroscopy, SEM and TEM,

+ Experience in conducting experiments at DOE user facilities especially with synchrotron-based methods including X-ray total scattering / pair distribution function (PDF) analysis and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure, XANES and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, EXAFS).

+ Molecular dynamics or atomistic simulations

+ Electrochemical materials synthesis or electrode position

+ Techno-economic analysis (TEA) or process systems modeling

+ Ability to obtain Q clearance

** Education/Experience*
* A Ph.D. in Chemistry, Geochemistry, Materials Science, Environmental Science, Geological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related STEM discipline.

For postdoctoral appointments, candidates must have completed all Ph.D. requirements within the last five years or by the start date of the appointment.

** Note to Applicants:*
* To apply , please submit:

+ Curriculum Vitae (CV)

+ A one-page cover letter

The cover letter should include:

A brief professional biography (2-3 sentences)

+ Current research interests

+ Future career goals

+ A description of how your experience addresses each of the minimum qualifications and any desired qualifications that apply.

*
* Work Schedule:

** Onsite

** Work Environment:
** (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). .

** Note to Applicants:*
* Due to…