Postdoctoral Researcher - Reaction Engineering for Biorefining

National Laboratory of the Rockies; Colorado; On-site; USD 77,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, CO is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in reaction engineering for biorefining. The position focuses on fractionating biomass into pulps and oils, with emphasis on improving atom economy in pulping systems and developing new process technologies.

The role includes collaboration with engineers and chemists across disciplines. The appointment is full-time, initially one year with potential renewal up to three years, and requires a recent PhD with

Qualifications

• Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
• Demonstrated experience in reaction engineering.
• Understanding of transport phenomena in complex reactor systems.
• Ability to design, build, and safely operate novel reactor systems.

Responsibilities

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting.
• Learn new techniques and protocols.
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers.
• Perform lignin oxidation catalysis, reaction engineering, and catalyst and process design.
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats.
• Author peer-reviewed publications, and
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers and chemists.

Skills

Reaction engineering

Transport phenomena

Lab techniques

Plan and execute research

Publish research results

Education

PhD in chemical engineering or related field

Job description

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher - Reaction Engineering for Biorefining

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Chemical Catalysis and Reaction Engineering group. Our group is conducting research to enable cost-effective processes for biomass and waste feedstock conversion and chemical recycling of waste plastics.

This position focuses on reaction engineering for the fractionation of biomass into polysaccharide-rich pulps and lignin- and extractives-rich oils, with an aim to improve the atom economy of existing pulping infrastructure through new process technology development. This position will involve reaction engineering efforts to enable facile biomass fractionation processes, ideally in existing or retrofitted kraft pulping systems, and downstream fractionation of the solid and liquid products. Candidates will collaborate with a large, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years.

We encourage interested candidates to see the following papers:

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/ee/d0ee02870c

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/ee/d1ee01642c

https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(22)00290-2 (https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351%2822%2900290-2)

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c04089

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2024/gc/d4gc04533e

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c0419

The successful candidate will be able to:

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
• Learn new techniques and protocols
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers
• Perform lignin oxidation catalysis, reaction engineering, and catalyst and process design
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats
• Author peer-reviewed publications, and
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary team of engineers and chemists

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Basic Qualifications

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

*** Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.**

Additional Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in reaction engineering
• Understanding of transport phenomena in complex reactor systems
• Ability to design, build, and safely operate novel reactor systems
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail
• Attention to detail
• Ability to deliver high-quality results within aggressive timelines
• Strong record of quality peer-reviewed publications
• Strong safety record and ability to follow complex standard operating procedures

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with biomass conversion including lignin
• Expert in reaction engineering related to biorefining or processes containing complex solids
• Experience in lignin chemistry and catalytic depolymerization
• Downstream processing / separations experience
• Demonstrated in-depth experience with analytical measurement techniques (e.g. GC-MS)

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $76,600 - $126,400

NLR takes into consideration a candidate's education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potenti