Post Doctorate RA - Experimental Geochemistry

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. The Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate's (PCSD’s) strengths in experimental, computational, and theoretical chemistry and materials science, together with our advanced computing, applied mathematics and data science capabilities, are central to the discovery mission we embrace at PNNL. But our most important resource is our people—experts across the range of scientific disciplines who team together to take on the biggest scientific challenges of our time. The Physical Sciences Division stewards discovery science research portfolios including catalysis, materials science, separations, analytical chemistry, geosciences, and chemical physics. Our research strives to refine our molecular-level understanding of multiphase systems and phenomena including complex interfaces. We discover and apply new knowledge to address major national priorities and needs in energy sustainability through the development of new energy storage technologies and the creation of high-value fuels and materials from abundant wastes. This is an onsite position.

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

• Strong background in Geochemistry and Material Science
• Skills in wet chemistry; optical spectroscopy; synchrotron-based techniques (EXAFS, SXAS, XRF, etc.) and data fitting
• Interest in advancing measurement approaches and applying them to complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to PNNL’s goals in understanding the complex systems and phenomena vital to the nation's energy and environmental resources as part of the Lab’s Physical Sciences Division (PSD).
• Develop and perform benchtop and hydrothermal liquid–rock reactions to study metal ion interaction, incorporation and distribution in natural and synthetic minerals to delineate their dissolution, nucleation, growth, and crystallization—and to use various wet chemical and optical spectroscopy techniques, such as Raman, FTIR, and synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES/EXAFS) with complementary microscopy and elemental analysis (e.g., XRD/SAXS, DLS, SEM/TEM, AFM, ICP).
• Your research results will help advancing DOE missions in critical minerals, environmental cleanup, and sustainable materials.
• Conduct independent research and work on team assignments
• Develop models to interpret hydrothermal liquid–rock reaction data
• Interact, communicate, and problem solve with a diverse team of research staff within the PCSD, EMSL, and across PNNL
• Contribute as a team member to support publications and reports led by other researchers
• Lead manuscript development and maintain a strong overall publication record in the peer-reviewed scientific literature
• Present research at technical conferences and project/program review meetings
• Participate in the development of research proposals

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
• 120 vacation hours per year
• ten paid holidays per year

What This Job Offers

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