Research Assistant Professor

Universities of Wisconsin•Milwaukee, WI

About The Position

The Research Assistant Professor will provide scientific and technical leadership for a broad portfolio of externally funded research in electrochemical energy storage in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The position supports federally and industry-sponsored research, including the U.S. Department of Energy Battery 500 consortium, industry contracts, UWM DIG, and UWRF Catalyst. The successful candidate will coordinate research activities in the Principal Investigator’s laboratory, manage collaborations with external partners, and mentor graduate students and junior researchers. The research program includes lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, beyond-lithium-ion technologies such as lithium-sulfur and solid-state batteries, battery recycling, and related electrochemical energy-storage technologies. The appointee will help develop and execute current and future externally sponsored research programs and ensure timely completion of milestones, technical reports, publications, patents, and other deliverables. Research activities will comprise the majority of the appointment. The role also involves seeking and maintaining research funding, supporting proposal development, coordinating sponsored projects, and disseminating results through scholarly and technical channels. This is a 12-month, fixed-terminal academic staff appointment. Compensation is $75,000; the final salary offer will be determined based on qualifications and experience. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering or scientific discipline, at least five years of postdoctoral and/or research associate experience after the Ph.D., a Google Scholar h-index of 40 or higher, and substantial experience across the specified battery research areas and industry-sponsored research. U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is required, subject to confirmation of consistency with applicable sponsor, contractual, export-control, and institutional requirements.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering or scientific discipline.
At least five years of postdoctoral and/or research associate experience after completing the Ph.D.
Substantial research experience in electrochemical engineering, electrochemistry, and electrochemical energy-storage technologies.
A strong record of high-impact, peer-reviewed publications demonstrating sustained contributions to electrochemical energy-storage research.
Google Scholar h-index of 40 or higher.
Substantial research experience in lithium-ion batteries; beyond-lithium-ion batteries, including lithium-sulfur batteries; solid-state batteries; and lithium-ion battery recycling and/or recycling-related battery materials and processes.
Demonstrated experience managing and conducting industry-sponsored or industry-collaborative research, including industrial partner interaction, project planning and execution, milestone and deliverable management, and technical report preparation.
U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status, subject to confirmation that the requirement is consistent with applicable sponsor, contractual, export-control, and institutional requirements.
Submit a resume and cover letter.

Nice To Haves

Track record as a Principal Investigator and/or Co-Principal Investigator lead on externally and/or internally funded grants or contracts, including proposal development, project execution, and meeting sponsor milestones and deliverables.
Record of translating fundamental electrochemical research into practical battery technologies and engineering solutions.
Experience managing multiple concurrent federally and industry-sponsored research projects.
U.S. and/or international patents arising from battery, electrochemical, or energy-storage research.
Experience mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other junior research personnel.
Experience providing hands-on guidance in experimental design, electrochemical characterization, data analysis and interpretation, troubleshooting, technical writing, and preparation of peer-reviewed publications.
Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary research teams, national laboratories, industrial partners, and academic collaborators.
Strong written and oral communication skills, including preparation of research proposals, sponsor reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other technical documents.

Responsibilities

Develop and publish research in peer-reviewed publications; present research at conferences; participate in publication editing and research-related committees.
Supervise day-to-day operational activities of research program staff.
Secure intramural and extramural grant funding to establish financial independence for research programs.
Formulate and direct research program scientific and technical processes, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance with financial, ethical, and administrative requirements and standards.
Conduct a high-quality, productive, and impactful electrochemical energy-storage research program, with research activities comprising the majority of the appointment.
Seek and maintain independent research funding as a Principal Investigator and/or Co-Principal Investigator, consistent with the title and research program needs.
Provide leadership for research projects and help develop and sustain research programs within the institution.
Mentor graduate students, serve on graduate committees as appropriate, and co-advise graduate students.
Participate as appropriate in research-related, compliance, and research advisory committees.
Manage and coordinate industry-sponsored projects, including planning, execution, sponsor communications, milestones, deliverables, and technical reporting.
Coordinate research on lithium-ion, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur, and solid-state batteries, battery recycling, and emerging electrochemical energy-storage technologies.
Provide scientific and technical leadership for ongoing and future DOE-sponsored research and collaborations with national laboratories, including Brookhaven National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Provide hands-on mentoring to graduate students and junior researchers in research planning, experimental design and execution, data analysis, troubleshooting, scientific writing, and publication preparation.
Assist in developing externally funded research opportunities, including federal proposals and industry-sponsored contracts.
Coordinate activities among graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, collaborators, and external partners to achieve project objectives on time.
Disseminate results through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, technical reports, patents, and other appropriate channels.