Postdoctoral Researcher – Separations Engineering

NREL • Golden, CO

10h • Onsite

About The Position

The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Separations Science group. Our group is conducting research to enable realistic, cost-effective processes for biomass and waste feedstock conversion and chemical recycling of waste plastics. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years. This position focuses on the recovery of bio-based products through in-situ product recovery (ISPR). This position stems from our recent work and will continue to build from our learnings. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/gc/d5gc01813g https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2018/gc/c7gc03747c https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2019/gc/c9gc01844a The successful candidate will evaluate adsorption resin-based ISPR, electrochemical pH-swing ISPR, and other methods to recover a bio-based carboxylic acid that will contribute to a project focused on integrated process development for bio-based polymers from cellulosic sugars.

Requirements

• Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Expertise and experience in designing, operating, and scaling novel separations processes
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Strong record of quality peer-reviewed publications
• Strong safety record and ability to follow complex standard operating procedures

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with electrochemical, resin, or crystallization separations
• Experience with ISPR

Responsibilities

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers
• 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
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees