Post-Doctoral Fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Colorado School of Mines • Colorado Springs, CO

34d • $60,000 - $65,000

About The Position

Engineering a world of possibilities Colorado School of Mines, Civil and Environmental Engineering department, is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to support our research on developing construction materials derived from mine tailings. This is a one-year position with the possibility of extension for a second year. The anticipated start date is February 1, 2026, or shortly thereafter. The postdoctoral fellow will conduct both laboratory- and field-based investigations aimed at advancing mine-tailings-derived construction materials. After identifying tailings sites of interest in Peru, the researcher will oversee sample collection and perform comprehensive physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization. These results will form the basis for a systematic assessment of reuse pathways. The project will evaluate four primary reuse options for sulfidic mine tailings: (1) use as lightweight aggregates in concrete, (2) utilization as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete, and (3) application as a precursor in alkali-activated or geopolymer materials. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to the evaluation of these pathways in collaboration with the project team. Additional responsibilities include preparing project reports, scholarly publications, and research proposals. The role also involves close collaboration with research partners in Peru, and the fellow may be required to travel and conduct on-site work to support key project activities.

Requirements

• A PhD in a related field (civil engineering, materials engineering, geological engineering, mining engineering, chemical engineering, physics, chemistry, or other related fields).
• Strong publication record in high quality peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Currently in the US with current work authorization

Nice To Haves

• Ability to communicate fluently in Spanish
• Ability to travel to Peru
• Prior experience with one or more of the following: cement testing, concrete performance evaluation and durability testing, materials characterization using equipment such as SEM, XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS, ICP-AES, FTIR, TGA, Micro-CT.

Responsibilities

• Conducting laboratory and field studies aimed at production of construction materials from mine tailings
• 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

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass
• All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state-of-the-art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center.
• We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees