Post-Doctoral Associate (# 375599)

VS-Postdoc; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Paid holidays

Professional training

Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans

HSA contributions

Disability and life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

The University of Minnesota is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to develop renewable polymers for adhesives, coatings, and related materials. The role emphasizes learning new polymerization methods and relating molecular structure to material performance, with strong emphasis on practical industrial testing.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in polymer synthesis and characterization (NMR, SEC, DSC, TGA, DMA).

Qualifications

• PhD required in a relevant field by start date (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science or related).
• Strong research ability, independence, and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Publish results through publications, technical reports, and presentations.
• Collaborate with graduate students and industrial partners on project milestones.
• Engage in advanced characterization and practical testing of renewable polymers for adhesives and coatings.

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or related field

Tools

NMR

SEC

DSC

TGA

DMA

Job description

Salary: $62,232 - $67,995; depending oneducation/qualifications/experience

Category: Chemical Engineering

About the Job

We are seeking a postdoctoral scholar to develop renewable polymers foradhesives, coatings, and related materials. The research will focus on combiningsoy-derived monomers with renewable macromonomers to produce high-performancepolymer systems with increased renewable content.

The ideal candidate will have strong experimental skills in chemical ormaterials synthesis and characterization, with the ability to learn newpolymerization methods and relate molecular structure to material performance.Experience with polymer synthesis, emulsion polymerization, ring-openingpolymerization, or techniques such as NMR, SEC, DSC, TGA, DMA, and mechanicaltesting is desirable. The work is strongly applied and will include bothadvanced characterization and practical industrial testing of adhesives andcoatings.

The postdoctoral scholar will work closely with graduate students andindustrial collaborators and communicate results through publications, technicalreports, presentations, and partner meetings.

The position is initially for one year and may be renewed depending onfunding and performance. The start date is flexible.

For additional information, contact Professor Steve Severtson, University ofMinnesota, at [e-mail].

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Ph. D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, MaterialsScience, Polymer Science, or a related field by the start date. Strong researchability, work ethic, independence, and communication skills are essential.

About the Department

The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (bbe.umn.edu) is aninternationally renowned academic unit with the core mission of sustainable useof renewable resources and enhancement of the environment. BBE is affiliatedwith both the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences(CFANS, https://cfans.umn.edu/) and the College of Science and Engineering (CSE,https://cse.umn.edu/).

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $62,232 - $67,995; depending oneducation/qualifications/experience

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and life insurance
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity andinclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and insupporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting andretaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in itsprograms, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed,religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, publicassistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, orgender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U:http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of abackground check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible towork here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists fromemployment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest publicresearch universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, andprofessional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research.Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitancommunities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit fromextensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, internationalcorporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public serviceorganizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as aBest Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025,2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received CultureExcellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation andwork-life flexibility.