Postdoctoral Associate - Membrane Science

Allocation Assist Middle East; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State-of-the-art facilities

International collaboration

Mentoring students

Job summary

New York University Abu Dhabi invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate in membrane science within the Water Research Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The researcher will advance next-generation reverse osmosis membrane technologies for sustainable desalination of Arabian Gulf seawater, addressing high salinity, elevated temperatures, fouling, scaling and biofouling.

The position combines fundamental membrane science with practical desalination research aimed at improving permeability, salt

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong experimental research skills demonstrated by independent productivity.
• Strong publication record appropriate to career stage.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent, high-quality experimental research in membrane science and desalination technologies.
• Investigate membrane transport, fouling, scaling, and cleaning mechanisms.
• Design, fabricate, modify, and evaluate polymeric membrane materials for reverse osmosis.
• Perform comprehensive membrane characterization using advanced analytical techniques.
• Establish fabrication-structure-property-performance relationships for novel membrane materials.
• Analyze experimental results using scientific and statistical methods.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Contribute to development of intellectual property and grant proposals.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and mentor students.

Skills

Independent research

Publication record

English communication

Team collaboration

Experiment design

Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering or related field

Tools

SEM

AFM

FTIR

Raman spectroscopy

XPS

XRD

Contact angle

Zeta potential

TGA

DSC

Crossflow testing

Job description

Postdoctoral Associate - Membrane Science Job Snapshot Role: Postdoctoral Associate - Membrane Science Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE Industry: Higher Education Function: Research Experience: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Position Overview New York University Abu Dhabi invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate position within the Water Research Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The researcher will advance next-generation reverse osmosis membrane technologies for sustainable desalination of Arabian Gulf seawater, addressing challenges including high salinity, elevated temperatures, fouling, scaling, and biofouling. The position combines fundamental membrane science with practical desalination research focused on improving membrane permeability, salt rejection, fouling resistance, durability, and energy efficiency.

Job Details

Country: UAE City: Abu Dhabi Industry: Higher Education Function: Research Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Work Arrangement: On-site

Research Focus

The successful candidate will conduct independent and collaborative experimental research in polymeric membranes and desalination technologies. The work covers membrane design, fabrication, characterization, and performance evaluation, with the objective of developing high-performance materials suited to demanding seawater desalination conditions. A central aspect of the research is establishing relationships between membrane fabrication, structure, properties, and performance while investigating transport, fouling, scaling, cleaning, and other mechanisms that influence long-term membrane operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct independent, high-quality experimental research in membrane science, polymer materials, and desalination technologies.
• Investigate membrane transport, fouling, scaling, and cleaning mechanisms.
• Design, fabricate, modify, and evaluate polymeric membrane materials for reverse osmosis applications.
• Perform comprehensive membrane characterization using advanced analytical techniques.
• Establish fabrication-structure-property-performance relationships for novel membrane materials.
• Analyze experimental results using appropriate scientific and statistical methods.
• Publish research findings in leading peer-reviewed international journals.
• Contribute to the development of intellectual property arising from the research.
• Present research outcomes at national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars.
• Assist with the preparation of research grant proposals.
• Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary research teams.
• Maintain accurate laboratory and experimental records.
• Follow applicable laboratory safety protocols.
• Contribute to student mentoring and collaborative research activities.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong experimental research skills supported by evidence of independent scientific productivity.
• Strong publication record appropriate to the candidate 's career stage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to conduct research independently while contributing effectively to multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Research Experience

• Development and modification of thin-film composite membranes.
• Sustainable membrane fabrication.
• Membrane fouling and scaling studies.
• Pilot-scale desalination systems.
• Technology translation.
• Industrial research collaboration.

Technical and Laboratory Competencies

• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM).
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
• Raman spectroscopy.
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Contact angle measurements.
• Zeta potential analysis.
• Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
• Universal mechanical testing.
• Porosity and membrane thickness measurements.
• Membrane performance evaluation.
• Crossflow testing.
• Permeability measurements.

Research and Professional Development

The position provides opportunities to conduct internationally competitive research in advanced desalination technologies while developing deeper expertise in membrane materials, membrane engineering, fabrication, and characterization. The researcher will work with multidisciplinary teams and state-of-the-art research facilities, contribute to high-impact journal publications, present research at scientific platforms, and gain experience in intellectual property and competitive grant development. The research is intended to contribute to solutions addressing regional and global water-security challenges while supporting the development of an international research profile in membrane science and desalination.

Supervision

The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct research within the NYU Abu Dhabi Water Research Center under the supervision of Dr. Nidal Hilal.