R&D Associate - Building Envelope Materials Research

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Knoxville, TN

65d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated R&D Associate Staff Member to drive innovation in high-performance polymeric thermal insulation and other building envelope materials. The successful candidate will focus on developing and characterizing novel materials and formulations for low-cost, high-thermal-resistance insulation systems, sealants, and other products relevant to both new construction and retrofit applications in building envelopes. This position resides in the Building Envelope Materials Research (BEMR) Group within the Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Energy Science and Technology Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This role offers the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the intersection of materials science and building science, leveraging ORNL’s world-class capabilities in material formulation, synthesis, fabrication, advanced characterization, and industry collaboration.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related field.
Demonstrated expertise in polymer science and engineering, including polymer synthesis, processing, characterization, and performance evaluation.
Working knowledge of building envelope materials and their applications in energy-efficient and resilient buildings.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated record of high-quality publications and technical presentations.
Experience developing and contributing to competitive research funding proposals.
Self-motivated and capable of working independently while contributing effectively to multidisciplinary research teams.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced research environment, manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt to evolving program needs.
Experience in the development and characterization of thermal insulation materials, sealants, adhesives, flame retardants, or related polymer-based materials.

Responsibilities

Conduct research on advanced polymeric thermal insulation and building envelope materials to improve performance, reduce cost, and enhance the energy efficiency, cost, and resilience of new and existing buildings.
Design and develop scalable, cost-effective, high-performance materials and assemblies for building envelope applications.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across ORNL, including experts in chemistry, materials processing, modeling and simulation, robotics, diagnostics, and computer science.
Partner with researchers from universities, national laboratories, and industry to advance research and technology deployment.
Communicate research findings through technical presentations, conference proceedings, and peer-reviewed publications.
Contribute to the development of research concepts, proposals, and funding opportunities.
Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, health, and program requirements.
Support ORNL’s mission by upholding its core values of impact, integrity, teamwork, safety, service, and respect.