Postdoctoral Research Associate - Precipitation and Chemomechanics

Requisition Id 13663 

Overview: 

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on efforts to establish the processes by which chemical reactivity results in fracture and grain boundary opening and closing.  This position resides in the Geochemistry and Interfacial Sciences Group in the Chemical Transformations Section, Chemical Sciences Division (CSD), Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our team, you will work with a team of scientists in the Geochemistry and Interfacial Sciences Group to perform experiments to understand the effects of chemomechanical feedback mechanisms including crystallization pressure and localized stress/strain that result in fracture and grain boundary opening and closing. Experiments are expected to involve high pressure/temperature systems, mineral synthesis, and analyses using a variety of neutron and X-ray scattering techniques, coupled with other approaches as needed.

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. With a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people, ORNL’s decadal vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with ORNL researchers on the design and execution of experiments in nucleation and chemomechanical effects
• Responsible for presenting research results at international meetings and publishing scientific results in peer-reviewed journals in a timely manner
• Ensure compliance with environment, safety, health, and quality program requirements
• Maintain strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD in Physical Sciences or Chemical Engineering, Geochemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related field completed within the last 5 years
• Experience in the design and implementation of geochemical experiments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in any of the following: neutron, X-ray, and light scattering (particularly (U)SANS, SAXS, INS, QENS, SALS, neutron diffraction and total scattering)
• Experience in experimental work, especially in high pressure/temperature aqueous systems
• Willing to enthusiastically learn new techniques and apply them to problems of geochemical significance
• A record of collaboration with computational chemists, especially comparison of models to observations of mineral surfaces, stress/strain, and fluid transport
• An excellent record of productive and creative research demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals
• The ability to work on and complete multiple tasks in a limited amount of time and to independently set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks to meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory 
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs

Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You can upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

•  Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be for up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and the availability of funding.

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.