Postdoc - Catalyst Design and Operando Investigation for Selective Organic Oxidation Coupled with Hydrogen Production (within the SNU/FZJ Energy Fellow Program)

Forschungszentrum Jülich; Jülich; On-site; EUR 47,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation days

Family-friendly policy

Flexible working hours

Health management program

Company pension

Job summary

Forschungszentrum Jülich invites applications for the SNU/FZJ Energy Fellow Program, a two-year international postdoctoral initiative conducted jointly with Seoul National University. The position starts with one year at FZJ (Brainergy Park Jülich) and continues with a second year at SNU in Seoul.

Focused on designing electrocatalysts for selective organic oxidation coupled to hydrogen production, the project integrates catalyst synthesis, reaction development, and operando characterization.

Qualifications

• Master's degree and PhD in a relevant field.
• Strong background in energy science and catalyst research.
• Excellent written and spoken English (CEFR B2 or higher).

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize electrocatalysts with tunable composition and structure.
• Develop and optimize reaction conditions for selectivity and hydrogen production.
• Resolve dynamic catalyst changes using operando spectroscopy and correlate with performance.
• Establish mechanistic design principles to guide catalyst development.

Skills

Energy science experience

English proficiency (CEFR B2)

Education

Master's degree in physics/chemistry/materials science/chemical engineering

PhD in related fields

Job description

The SNU/FZJ Energy Fellow Program is a prestigious international postdoctoral research program between Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). The two-year program offers the opportunity to conduct research at both institutions, starting with a one-year employment at FZJ, followed by a second year at Seoul National University in Seoul under a separate one-year employment at SNU (or vice versa).

This position is joint between FZJ’s institute division "Catalytic Materials for Chemical Hydrogen Storage" (IHE-2), led by Prof. Dr. Regina Palkovits and Prof. Jongwoo Lim from SNU.

The goal of this research topic is to develop efficient electrocatalysts for selective organic oxidation coupled with hydrogen production by integrating catalyst synthesis, reaction development, and operando characterization.

Your Job

• Design and synthesize electrocatalysts with tunable composition and structure for selective organic oxidation
• Develop and optimize reaction conditions, evaluating product selectivity, hydrogen production, and catalyst stability
• Resolve dynamic changes in catalyst structure and oxidation state using operando spectroscopy and correlate them with catalytic performance
• Establish mechanistic design principles to guide catalyst development and reaction optimization

Your Profile

• Master's degree with PhD in physics, chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or related disciplines
• Experience in energy science
• Very good command of written and spoken English with extensive vocabulary is required (at least B2 level according to the CEFR)

• Very independent and self-motivated way of working but also excellent teamwork skills
• High motivation to take on responsibility and develop your own research ideas
• Willingness for regular business trips

Our Benefits for You

• Meaningful tasks: The position offers a varied and diverse role in an international environment
• Work-life balance: Optimal conditions for balancing work and private life, as well as a family-friendly company policy. The option of flexible working (in terms of location) is generally available after consultation and in line with upcoming tasks and (on-site) appointments
• Vacation: You will receive 30 days of vacation plus additional days off (e.g. between Christmas and New Year's)
• Flexibility: Flexible working time models, including options close to full-time
• Knowledge & further training: Your professional development is important to us – we provide targeted, individual support
• Health & well-being: Your health is important to us. You can look forward to a comprehensive occupational health management program with a wide range of offerings - e.g., a beach volleyball court, running groups, yoga classes, and much more. In addition, our company medical service and an experienced social counseling team are available to assist you on site
• Successful start: It is important to us that you quickly settle into the team and are given structured training for your tasks. We also support you from the very beginning and make your start easier with our Welcome Days and Welcome Guide
• Fair remuneration: Depending on your existing qualifications and the tasks assigned to you, you will be classified in pay grade 13 of the TVöD-Bund (Collective Agreement for the Public Service). All information on the TVöD-Bund collective agreement can be found on theBMI website
• The monthly salaries in euros can be found on page 74 of the PDF download
• Additional benefits: Benefit from attractive additional services such as a company pension scheme with employer contribution. In addition to the basic salary, there is an additional year-end bonus under the collective pay agreement amounting to 75% of a monthly salary, as well as capital-forming benefits
• Fixed-term: The position is limited to 1 year followed by a second year at Seoul National University in Seoul under a separate one-year employment at SNU
• Support for international employees: Our International Advisory Service makes it easier for international employees to get started
• Career Center: You will receive explicit support with regard to your career development opportunities

Allow you to tailor your working hours to suit your individual needs

In addition to exciting tasks and a collegial working environment, we offer you much more:

https://go.fzj.de/benefits

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us.

The following links provide further information on diversity and equal opportunities:

https://go.fzj.de/equality

and on specific support options for women: https://go.fzj.de/womens-job-journey

• International applicants can find more information here: https://go.fzj.de/job-journey-internationals
• Place of Employment:**Brainergy Park Jülich

Start Date: To the next possible date

Working Hours: 39 Hours / Week

Salary: Pay group 13 TVöD-Bund

Application Deadline: 2026-12-22

Index number: 2026T-0839

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH