Postdoctoral Research Associate in Organic Electronic Devices and Organic Solar Cells (Gu group)

The University of Southern Mississippi • Hattiesburg, MS

25d • Onsite

About The Position

The Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Gu Group conducts research on organic electronic device fabrication, particularly organic solar cells, including performance testing and operational stability. The research examines how materials, processing methods, device architecture, and encapsulation affect photovoltaic performance and degradation under light, heat, and environmental exposure.

The position coordinates research and laboratory activities; analyzes and interprets data; communicates findings to sponsors and collaborators; and prepares publications, proposals, presentations, and reports. The associate also assists faculty with sponsored project management and reporting and provides research guidance to graduate and undergraduate researchers. The role involves collaboration, meetings, conferences, and travel to collaborating institutions, national laboratories, or sponsor locations as needed, as well as maintaining safe laboratory operations and equipment.

Requirements

• Ph.D. from an accredited college or university in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Three years of experience in organic electronic device fabrication and characterization.
• Three years of experience with organic semiconductor materials, thin-film processing, and materials-device performance relationships.
• Peer-reviewed publication record.
• Knowledge of organic semiconductor materials, device physics, thin-film processing, and photovoltaic characterization.
• Knowledge of organic electronic device fabrication, characterization, and stability testing methods.
• Knowledge of experimental research methods and laboratory safety practices.
• Ability to design and conduct controlled research experiments and troubleshoot device fabrication, instrumentation, and measurement processes.
• Ability to analyze and objectively evaluate device performance, reproducibility, stability, and degradation data.
• Ability to maintain accurate experimental records and research documentation.
• Ability to conduct research independently and collaborate with faculty, scientists, engineers, students, and research partners.
• Ability to prepare scientific publications, research proposals, technical reports, and presentations.
• Ability to train and provide research guidance to graduate and undergraduate researchers.
• Ability to coordinate research activities, priorities, and sponsored project requirements.
• Written and verbal communication, technical writing, scientific presentation, organization, problem-solving, and data analysis skills.
• Ability to travel to conferences, collaborating institutions, national laboratories, and sponsor locations as needed.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States full time without visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of experience with organic solar cells, including non-fullerene acceptors.
• Three years of experience with spin coating, blade coating, slot-die coating, or related solution-processing methods.
• Three years of experience with glovebox operation, vacuum deposition, interfacial-layer engineering, encapsulation, current-voltage measurements, external quantum efficiency measurements, light-intensity-dependent measurements, or maximum power point tracking.
• Three years of experience with operational and accelerated aging studies, International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS) protocols, and photoinduced, thermal, oxygen-related, or moisture-related degradation.
• Three years of experience with electrical, optical, or morphological characterization methods used to evaluate relationships among materials, interfaces, device performance, and stability.
• Three years of experience with automated data acquisition, instrument control, or performance and lifetime data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate and optimize organic electronic devices, particularly organic solar cells.
• Develop reproducible procedures for substrate preparation, active-layer and interfacial-layer processing, electrode deposition, and encapsulation.
• Investigate how processing methods and device architecture affect device performance.
• Characterize device performance using current-voltage, external quantum efficiency, and complementary electrical and optical measurements.
• Investigate performance-limiting mechanisms, establish testing procedures, and evaluate reproducibility across fabrication batches.
• Evaluate device stability through operational and accelerated aging studies under controlled illumination, temperature, atmosphere, and humidity.
• Perform maximum power point tracking, analyze lifetime metrics, and investigate degradation mechanisms and strategies to improve stability.
• Prepare peer-reviewed publications, research proposals, presentations, technical reports, and related documentation.
• Maintain experimental records; analyze and interpret research results; assist faculty with sponsored project management and reporting; and communicate project progress to collaborators and funding organizations.
• Train and mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers in device fabrication, characterization, stability testing, laboratory safety, and data analysis.
• Guide research priorities and the development of reproducible experimental practices.
• Participate in research collaborations, project meetings, conferences, and travel to collaborating institutions, national laboratories, or sponsor locations as needed.
• Follow University and departmental policies and procedures and support safe laboratory operations and equipment maintenance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

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