Postdoctoral Associate

Virginia Tech • Manassas, VA

16d

About The Position

The Furst Lab at the Virginia Tech Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory (OWML) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate position in Environmental Engineering. The Postdoctoral Associate will lead laboratory and field work for NSF Award # 2533054: CAREER: Transformation potential of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water distribution systems. The overarching goal of this project is generate foundational knowledge regarding PFAS fate, transport, and transformation in drinking water systems. The specific objectives are to 1) investigate PFAS partitioning and precursor transformation in drinking water distribution systems and develop methods and infrastructure for the design of controlled experiments to generate fundamental insights; 2) evaluate the effects of redox conditions, disinfection chemistry and sediment composition on PFAS partitioning and transformation; and 3) evaluate PFAS transformation in drinking water biofilms. The study design integrates controlled bench-scale experiments with sampling from full-scale distribution systems in collaboration with industry partners. The Postdoctoral Associate will also oversee the development of a pilot-scale distribution system testbed to simulate full-scale conditions. This position is renewable for up to 3 years, contingent on performance. The Furst Lab (also known as Water SyCEL, or the Water Systems Chemistry Engineering Lab) conducts cutting-edge research on emerging contaminants, organic matter, redox and disinfection processes with a focus on One Water systems. The Furst lab is part of the Virginia Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and is located at OWML in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. OWML is a one-of-a-kind environmental engineering and science research hub featuring a stakeholder-funded, state-certified water quality lab charged with monitoring water quality in the Occoquan Watershed reuse system for over 50 years. OWML is home to seven CEE faculty and more than 20 post-doctoral associates, graduate students, laboratory and field technicians, and office staff. Dr. Kirin Furst is Co-Director of OWML and an Associate Professor in CEE. Furst is also Research Director of the PFAS Water Research Center for the Washington Metropolitan Area, newly funded by NIST through the Congressional Appropriations process in FY26. The Postdoctoral Associate will receive training in project management and grant writing and will have opportunities to present findings at regional and national conferences. The Postdoctoral Associate will also have the opportunity to engage in teaching and outreach, and regional leadership activities through the newly funded PFAS Water Research Center if desired. Occasional travel will be required for field work, visiting collaborator laboratories on the Blacksburg campus and at other universities, lab group retreats, and meetings and conferences. Post-doctoral Associates appointed to OWML have access to the full range of opportunities available to those on the Blacksburg campus, such as professional development programs and group mentoring events with other tenured and untenured faculty in CEE.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, or a related field. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Demonstrated expertise in drinking water chemistry, organic contaminant fate and redox processes.
• Experience designing and conducting laboratory experiments involving water quality chemistry, oxidation processes, transformation products, and/or complex environmental matrices.
• Extensive training and hands-on experience with LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS or closely related instrumentation.
• Strong scientific writing skills.
• Competency in programming and statistical analysis for advanced data interpretation.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend and stoop for a considerable amount of time, traversing uneven terrain, as well as lifting and moving over 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in drinking water disinfection and oxidation processes, especially chlorine and chloramine chemistry.
• Experience with PFAS analysis, including target and/or precursor methods.
• Experience with disinfection byproducts, oxidation byproducts, or transformation of trace organic contaminants under engineered treatment conditions.
• Experience with drinking water distribution systems, storage facilities, biofilms, or corrosion and sediment processes.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Record of successful fellowship proposals.
• Experience mentoring students or laboratory personnel.
• Experience collaborating with water utilities or other industry or governmental organizations.
• Familiarity with environmental policy and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience in data science, computational chemistry, and/or contaminant transport modeling.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of novel experiments that combine principles of disinfection/disinfection byproduct formation potential tests with microcosm study design.
• Perform PFAS analysis by standard and non-standard methods using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for water, sediment, and biofilm matrices.
• Perform analysis of disinfectant residuals and redox conditions, and collaborate with other laboratories on analysis of sediment elemental composition and microbial community analysis.
• Lead development of manuscripts to communicate findings in peer-reviewed journals.
• Conduct data analysis, develop fate and transport models, and synthesize and interpret results across lab and field studies.
• Develop and validate QA/QC criteria for analytical methods and experiments as needed, including to demonstrate chlorine-demand free and PFAS-free protocols.
• Coordinate with industry partners to plan and execute field sampling campaigns in full-scale distribution systems.
• Lead meetings with utility and industry collaborators to present results and inform research directions.
• Assist in training and mentorship of graduate students and junior laboratory personnel.
• Lead design and construction of a pilot-scale simulated distribution system reactor testbed (Starting year 2 onwards.)
• Work independently to ensure timely completion of project milestones and deliverables.
• Maintain timely and professional communication with internal and external collaborators.
• Additional responsibilities include attending weekly lab meetings and contributing to shared lab operations.

What This Job Offers

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