Postdoctoral Researcher - Process modeling and sustainability analysis for lignin valorization

Nrel • Golden, CO

49d

About The Position

The Catalytic Carbon Transformation & Scale-Up Center at NREL has an opening for a full time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Economic, Sustainability, and Market Analysis group. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years. This position will work primarily on a Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) project, in which we are developing new approaches to cost-effectively convert biomass into realistic biofuels. https://cbi.ornl.gov/ The successful candidate will work closely with the CBI Lignin Valorization team to conduct biorefinery analyses related to lignin valorization to fuels and chemicals. Analyses will be used to guide experimental R&D and thus a close connection to experimental efforts will be critical. The candidate will work with both AspenPlus and other process modeling tools. The successful candidate will be able to: assimilate a wide variety of information into assessments contribute to the planning and execution of research and analysis communicate scientific results effectively, both written and oral author peer-reviewed publications, and work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers, chemists, and biologists.

Requirements

• Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Research experience with an emphasis on chemical process development
• Demonstrated experience with process modeling with Aspen Plus
• Demonstrated experience with doing statistical analysis (ie sensitivity or uncertainty)
• PhD degree in chemical engineering or related field

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience with programming codes such as Python or R
• Demonstrated experience with LCA tools such as Brightway, openLCA or SimaPro
• Understanding of biomass conversion research and knowledge of lignin deconstruction chemistries
• Relevant experience with sustainable materials and green chemistry practices

Responsibilities

• assimilate a wide variety of information into assessments
• contribute to the planning and execution of research and analysis
• communicate scientific results effectively, both written and oral
• author peer-reviewed publications
• work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers, chemists, and biologists

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-term disability insurance; pension benefits; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays.
• NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component.
• Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

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