TTU Post Doctoral Research Associate

Texas Tech University • Lubbock, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Performs specialized Post Doctoral work in the planning, conducting and/or supervision of original research. Responsible for participating in a research project associated with PhD studies and the interpretation of the results of publication. Work is performed under supervision of graduate faculty members with evaluation based on accomplishment of assigned objectives and overall effectiveness of project. May supervise research and student assistants.

Requirements

• PhD in area of project specialization.
• Knowledge of modern research practices, the methods, resources, and standards thereof.
• Ability to organize work effectively, conceptualize and prioritize objectives and exercise independent judgment based on an understanding of organizational policies and activities.
• Ability to integrate resources, policies, and information for the determination of procedures, solutions and other outcomes.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with other employees and the public.
• Ability to plan and allocate the workload of employees, providing direct training and supervision as needed.
• This position is designated as involving access to critical infrastructure systems and/or research, as defined by Texas Executive Order GA-48. As such, candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive background check prior to employment. Employees are required to comply with all applicable state and federal regulations related to the protection of critical infrastructure. Ongoing employment is dependent upon maintaining eligibility for access and successfully passing periodic security and compliance reviews.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and analyze first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations using VASP and related periodic/molecular electronic structure codes (e.g., Q-Chem) to investigate electrochemical reaction mechanisms, surface science phenomena, and solvation effects, including implementation and benchmarking of advanced exchange-correlation functionals and implicit solvation models
• Develop, train, and validate machine-learned interatomic potentials (ML-IPs) and use them to run molecular dynamics simulations (e.g., LAMMPS) of complex materials systems, integrating results with DFT reference data to ensure physical accuracy and transferability.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to graduate students, masters students, and undergraduate researchers in the group, including training on computational workflows, code usage, and best practices for reproducible research, while contributing to manuscript preparation and dissemination of results in peer-reviewed publications.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree