Postdoctoral Research Associate - Advanced Separation and Purification

Requisition Id16936

We are seeking a postdoctoral research associate who will focus on membrane and sorbent materials and processes for advanced separations and purification applications. This position resides in the Soft Materials and Membranes Group in the Chemical Sciences Division, Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

As part of our team, you will work on developing energy efficient and cost-effective materials and processes for energy applications. The successful candidate will focus on problems related to the separation and recovery of critical materials, gas separation, and biomass based chemical and fuel precursors. Selected candidate will be responsible for developing new and exciting ideas, building collaboration within and outside ORNL, and executing the project from idea stage to eventually generating quantifiable outcomes such as publications and invention disclosures.

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to advance separation science and technologies for energy applications.
• Support research and program-development activities in advanced separation and purification, including the recovery of critical materials used in magnets, batteries, and semiconductors from mined resources and electronic waste, as well as separations for bioenergy applications.
• Develop new research directions and contribute to proposals for external funding.
• Communicate research findings through technical reports, conference presentations, and timely publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Prepare invention disclosures and contribute to patent applications, as appropriate.
• Comply with applicable environmental, safety, health, and quality requirements.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical conduct and ORNL's organizational values.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

• A PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, environmental science and engineering, materials science and engineering, or a related field completed within the last 5 years.

• A strong foundation in separation and purification science, materials chemistry and engineering, polymer chemistry, or related disciplines.
• Hands-on experience designing, synthesizing, fabricating, characterizing, and evaluating materials for separation applications.
• Research experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • membrane- or sorbent-based separation and purification;
  • hollow-fiber or spiral-wound membrane-module fabrication and membrane-process scale-up;
  • filtration, solvent or liquid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid or gas-liquid separation, membrane contractors, adsorption, or packed-column systems;
  • extraction, separation, and purification of critical materials, including rare-earth elements and materials used in semiconductor and battery technologies; or
  • separation technologies for bioenergy applications.
• A record of productive and creative research demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, patents, or other relevant research outputs.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

For employment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a Real  form of identification will be required. Additionally, ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation.

To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year. This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

For foreign national candidates:
If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment.

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the…