Post-Doctoral Fellow, Physics at Mines and The National Laboratory of the Rockies

Colorado School of Mines • Colorado Springs, CO

4d • $65,000 - $73,000

About The Position

We welcome applications for the position of postdoctoral researcher to work with Dr. Jeramy D. Zimmerman at Colorado School of Mines in collaboration with Dr. Bryon Larson at the National Laboratory of the Rockies, focusing on developing and evaluating materials, deposition, and packaging approaches that extend the lifetime of organic solar cells and modules. The postdoctoral researcher will:
Develop packaging strategies for OPV cells/modules to improve durability and operational lifetime
Design and execute accelerated stress/reliability tests and interpret degradation behavior
Perform post-mortem/root-cause failure analysis to identify mechanisms of performance loss
Use analytical chemistry and materials characterization tools (e.g., HPLC, NMR, SEM, XPS, XRD) to diagnose materials/interfaces
Conduct PV device/module measurements such as EQE and current–voltage (IV) testing
Fabricate OPV devices with scalable coating methods beyond spin coating (blade, bar, gravure, slot-die) and support scale-up efforts
Collaborate across disciplines; learn new technical areas as needed to support project goals
Communicate findings to internal stakeholders and externally via peer-reviewed papers and conference presentations
Follow strong EHS practices (safe procedures, waste handling, organized lab), potentially serving as a Designated Area Representative

Requirements

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related field.
• Experienced in fabricating and testing organic photovoltaics
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills for collaborative work.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with fabricating and testing mini-modules or modules made from organic semiconductors.
• Experience with large area device fabrication
• Experience with encapsulation of organic photovoltaics
• Experience with both solution (e.g. bad casting) and vapor phase deposition processes
• Prior experience with accelerated stress/reliability tests
• Experience with post-mortem/root-cause failure analysis
• Knowledge of appropriate analytical chemistry and materials characterization tools

Responsibilities

• Develop packaging strategies for OPV cells/modules to improve durability and operational lifetime
• Design and execute accelerated stress/reliability tests and interpret degradation behavior
• Perform post-mortem/root-cause failure analysis to identify mechanisms of performance loss
• Use analytical chemistry and materials characterization tools (e.g., HPLC, NMR, SEM, XPS, XRD) to diagnose materials/interfaces
• Conduct PV device/module measurements such as EQE and current–voltage (IV) testing
• Fabricate OPV devices with scalable coating methods beyond spin coating (blade, bar, gravure, slot-die) and support scale-up efforts
• Collaborate across disciplines; learn new technical areas as needed to support project goals
• Communicate findings to internal stakeholders and externally via peer-reviewed papers and conference presentations
• Follow strong EHS practices (safe procedures, waste handling, organized lab), potentially serving as a Designated Area Representative

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options (receive at a minimum with EE only coverage, $10,308 in medical benefits until July 1, 2026)
• 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 (you will receive 12% from Mines in a MDCP averaging $8,640 a year)
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass for regional bus and light rail transportation
• 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
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees