Postdoctoral Researcher – Reaction Engineering for Biorefining

NREL • Golden, CO

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Chemical Catalysis and Reaction Engineering group. Our group is conducting research to enable cost-effective processes for biomass and waste feedstock conversion and chemical recycling of waste plastics. This position focuses on reaction engineering for the fractionation of biomass into polysaccharide-rich pulps and lignin- and extractives-rich oils, with an aim to improve the atom economy of existing pulping infrastructure through new process technology development. This position will involve reaction engineering efforts to enable facile biomass fractionation processes, ideally in existing or retrofitted kraft pulping systems, and downstream fractionation of the solid and liquid products. Candidates will collaborate with a large, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years. We encourage interested candidates to see the following papers: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/ee/d0ee02870c https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/ee/d1ee01642c https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(22)00290-2 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c04089 https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2024/gc/d4gc04533e https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c0419

Requirements

• Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Demonstrated experience in reaction engineering
• Understanding of transport phenomena in complex reactor systems
• Ability to design, build, and safely operate novel reactor systems
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail
• Attention to detail
• Ability to deliver high-quality results within aggressive timelines
• Strong record of quality peer-reviewed publications
• Strong safety record and ability to follow complex standard operating procedures

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with biomass conversion including lignin
• Expert in reaction engineering related to biorefining or processes containing complex solids
• Experience in lignin chemistry and catalytic depolymerization
• Downstream processing / separations experience
• Demonstrated in-depth experience with analytical measurement techniques (e.g. GC-MS)

Responsibilities

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
• Learn new techniques and protocols
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers
• Perform lignin oxidation catalysis, reaction engineering, and catalyst and process design
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats
• Author peer-reviewed publications
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers and chemists

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.
• NLR 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
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree