Post Doctorate RA - Chemical & Bio Processing
About The Position
The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy’s goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage. We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization. The Chemical and Biological Processing Group is seeking a Postdoc Researcher to carry out research in hydrothermal depolymerization of waste plastics and detailed characterization of HTL products. The successful candidate will have experience in depolymerization of plastics and characterization of the products.
Requirements
- Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five years (60 months) or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.
Nice To Haves
- Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience conducting independent scientific or engineering research.
- Experience with hydrolysis, solvolysis, and related chemistries for chemical depolymerization of plastics or biopolymers
- Experience operating NMR, GPC, FTIR, GC-MS, LC, or related methods
- Familiarity with hydrothermal liquefaction
- Strong record of peer-reviewed publications and technical presentations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary research teams.
- Hands-on experience operating laboratory-scale batch or continuous-flow reactor systems.
- Experience operating high throughput reaction screening systems
- Familiarity with biomass-derived intermediates, oxygenates, biocrudes, waste-derived feedstocks, or catalytic upgrading pathways to fuels and chemicals.
- Experience with classical separations such as liquid-liquid extraction, chromatographic separations, or distillation
- Familiarity with FT-ICR-MS
- Experience using large language models, agentic workflows, or generative AI to support literature analysis, hypothesis generation, data interpretation, or research automation is a plus.
- Demonstrated interest in translating fundamental scientific understanding into scalable and deployable chemical processes.
Responsibilities
- Conduct independent research and contribute to multidisciplinary team assignments involving hydrothermal process development.
- Safely operate laboratory-scale reactor systems.
- Operation of analytical instrumentation including NMR, GPC, FTIR, GC-MS, LC, or related methods
- Develop novel methods for hydrothermal processing of plastic waste, with the goal of producing and isolating valuable chemical products
- Carry out detailed analysis of the oil, aqueous, solid, and gas phases from hydrothermal plastics/biomass processing
- Collaborate with experimental researchers and external research partners to scale up optimized methods for plastics processing
- Develop an understanding of the chemical classes/families within biocrudes using a petroleomics-based approach
- Prepare technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, presentations, and other project deliverables.
- Present research results at technical conferences, sponsor meetings, and project or program reviews.
- Contribute to the development of research proposals, intellectual property, and new technical capabilities.
- Maintain a strong commitment to safe, rigorous, and reproducible laboratory research.
Benefits
- health insurance
- flexible work schedules
- medical insurance
- dental insurance
- vision insurance
- robust telehealth care options
- several mental health benefits
- free wellness coaching
- health savings account
- flexible spending accounts
- basic life insurance
- disability insurance
- employee assistance program
- business travel insurance
- tuition assistance
- relocation
- backup childcare
- legal benefits
- supplemental parental bonding leave
- surrogacy and adoption assistance
- fertility support
- company-funded pension plan
- 401 (k) savings plan with company match
- vacation hours
- paid holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
