Postdoctoral Research Associate - Catalysis, Theoretical Studies

Brookhaven National Laboratory•Ridge, NY

2d•$82,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chemistry Division has an opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in catalysis. The successful candidate will be devoted to theoretical studies, involving description of the electrochemical environment, understanding of reaction mechanisms and active sites under reaction conditions, and catalyst optimization. This is an initial 1-year term appointment subject to renewal for the second year based on performance and funding.

Requirements

PhD degree in physics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, or closely related fields.
Strong background and research experience (including graduate research) in electrocatalysis.
Good English writing and oral skills for publications and presentations.
Experience in applying electronic structure theory, Transition State Theory (TST), microkinetic modeling or Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods, machine learning methods in electrocatalysis.
Candidates must have received a Ph.D. by the commencement of employment.
Brookhaven National Laboratory policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge in heterogeneous catalysis.
Electronic structure simulation of complex electrocatalysts (metal/metal compound), kinetic modeling of electrochemical performances under reaction conditions and machine-learning-based study for catalyst design.

Responsibilities

Provide mechanistic understanding of the catalytic behaviors observed under reaction conditions.
Correlate the composition/structure with the activity/stability of catalysts.
Design and develop heterogeneous catalysts.
Coordinate collaborative research with experimental or theoretical collaborators.
Prepare and write manuscripts for publications in scientific journals and present research results in scientific conferences and DOE program review meetings.