Research Assistant Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Polymer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Demonstrated experience with organic chemistry laboratory techniques, such as synthesis, purification (e.g., distillation, chromatography), and characterization (e.g., NMR, FTIR).
• Self-motivated and capable of working collaboratively in a team environment.
• Understands basic concepts in polymer and organic chemistry.
• Performs common lab procedures and has some experience with instruments like NMR, FTIR, or DSC.
• Keeps accurate notes during experiments and helps prepare basic reports.
• Willing to learn new techniques and assists with organizing and reviewing data.
• Works independently and communicates well with others in a team setting.
• Stays organized, motivated, and contributes reliably to group research efforts.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in one or more of the following experiment techniques would be preferred: cyclic voltammetry, fluorescence microscopy, organic electronics.

Responsibilities

• Conducts the synthesis and chemical modification of conjugated polymers using established and experimental methods.
• Optimizes reaction parameters and maintains consistency across multiple batches of materials.
• Carries out physical and chemical characterization of polymers, including morphological and thermal analysis.
• Uses instrumentation such as FTIR, NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA to gather and interpret data relevant to structure-property relationships.
• Contributes to the preparation of technical reports, research proposals, manuscripts for publication, and presentation materials.
• Maintains detailed records of experimental procedures, observations, and results in lab notebooks and digital formats.
• Participates in collaborative projects with external partners.
• May travel to national laboratories, user facilities, or scientific conferences for experimental work or to support dissemination of research findings.
• Assists in managing laboratory operations, including inventory, ordering, and maintenance of equipment.
• May provide guidance or training to new lab members or students involved in the group’s projects.
• Performs other duties as assigned.