Postdoctoral Research Associate, Advanced Battery & Solid State Technology

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Employment Type: Full Time
Salary: Up to $70,000.00 per year

About Soelect

Soelect, Inc. is an advanced battery technology company developing next generation lithium metal anodes, advanced electrode technologies, solid state battery solutions, and AI enabled material intelligence technologies. Our technology portfolio includes Lithium-X®, an advanced lithium metal anode platform designed for high energy density batteries, as well as emerging technologies for solid state batteries, advanced battery manufacturing, and material characterization. Soelect collaborates with commercial customers, universities, research institutions, and U.S. Government organizations to advance next generation energy storage technologies for commercial, aerospace, and defense applications.

About the Role

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will conduct advanced research on next generation battery materials and electrochemical cells, with particular emphasis on lithium metal batteries, solid state batteries, solid electrolytes, electrode interfaces, and cell fabrication. The successful candidate will design and execute experiments, fabricate and evaluate battery cells, analyze electrochemical and materials characterization data, and contribute to the development of new battery materials and cell architectures. Candidates with substantial hands-on experience in solid electrolytes and battery cell assembly are particularly encouraged to apply. Experience participating in federally funded R&D programs is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on advanced lithium ion, lithium metal, and solid state battery technologies.
• Design and execute experiments involving battery materials, electrodes, electrolytes, solid electrolytes, separators, and cell architectures.
• Investigate relationships among material properties, interfaces, cell design, and electrochemical performance.
• Develop and evaluate advanced lithium metal anode and solid state battery configurations.
• Investigate electrochemical and physical mechanisms affecting battery performance, cycle life, safety, and degradation.
• Maintain detailed experimental records and perform rigorous analysis of research results.
• Support development of new battery concepts from fundamental research through cell level validation.

Solid Electrolyte and Interface Research

Candidates with experience in solid state battery technology will have opportunities to work on:

• Inorganic solid electrolytes
• Ceramic solid electrolytes
• Sulfide based electrolytes
• Oxide based electrolytes
• Polymer and composite solid electrolytes
• Lithium metal and solid electrolyte interfaces
• Cathode and solid electrolyte interfaces
• Interfacial resistance and degradation
• Dendrite formation and lithium penetration
• Interfacial stability and electrochemical compatibility
• Solid electrolyte processing and integration

Experience with materials such as LLZO, LATP, LAGP, sulfide electrolytes, polymer electrolytes, or related solid electrolyte systems is highly desirable.

Battery Cell Fabrication

The successful candidate should have strong hands-on laboratory experience with battery cell fabrication and testing. Responsibilities may include:

• Electrode preparation and processing
• Slurry based and dry electrode fabrication
• Lithium metal handling and preparation
• Solid electrolyte preparation and integration
• Coin cell assembly
• Swagelok or laboratory scale test cell assembly
• Pouch cell fabrication
• Lithium symmetric cell fabrication
• Half cell and full cell assembly
• Cell formation and cycling
• Electrochemical performance evaluation
• Failure analysis and post mortem characterization

Experience operating in gloveboxes, dry rooms, and controlled atmosphere environments is strongly preferred.

Electrochemical Characterization

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will perform and analyze electrochemical measurements including:

• Galvanostatic charge and discharge cycling
• Rate capability testing
• Long term cycle life evaluation
• Coulombic efficiency analysis
• Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)
• Cyclic Voltammetry
• DC polarization and related transport measurements
• Lithium plating and stripping experiments
• Critical current density evaluation
• Interfacial resistance analysis

The candidate should be capable of connecting electrochemical data with underlying physical and chemical mechanisms.

Materials Characterization

Depending on project requirements, the candidate may utilize or coordinate characterization techniques including:

• SEM/EDS
• XRD
• XPS
• Raman spectroscopy
• Optical microscopy
• Surface and morphology analysis
• Thickness and dimensional measurements
• Mechanical and physical property characterization

The candidate will be expected to interpret characterization results together with electrochemical data to understand battery performance and degradation mechanisms.

Federal Research Programs

The Postdoctoral Research Associate may participate directly in federally funded R&D programs involving organizations such as:

• U.S. Department of Defense
• U.S. Department of Energy
• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Army
• U.S. Navy
• DARPA
• National laboratories
• Universities and other research organizations

Responsibilities may include:

• Executing research activities defined under federal Statements of Work.
• Developing experimental plans corresponding to project milestones.
• Tracking technical milestones and deliverables.
• Preparing technical data packages and research summaries.
• Contributing to monthly, quarterly, annual, and final technical reports.
• Preparing presentations for government program reviews.
• Supporting technical proposal and white paper development.
• Coordinating research activities with universities, national laboratories, subcontractors, and government collaborators.

Prior experience participating in SBIR, STTR, DoD, DOE, DARPA, NSF, or other federally funded research programs is strongly preferred.

Research Documentation and Intellectual Property

• Prepare technical reports, research presentations, and experimental documentation.
• Contribute to scientific publications and conference presentations when appropriate.
• Support invention disclosures and patent development.
• Conduct technical literature and patent reviews.
• Maintain organized and reproducible experimental records.
• Assist in translating research findings into new technology concepts and intellectual property.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Research experience involving batteries, electrochemical energy storage, battery materials, or related electrochemical systems.
• Strong hands-on laboratory experience.
• Experience with battery cell fabrication and electrochemical testing.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry and battery fundamentals.
• Ability to independently design experiments and analyze complex experimental data.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Strong analytical and scientific problem-solving capabilities.

Recent Ph.D. graduates and candidates completing their Ph.D. are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications

Particularly strong consideration will be given to candidates with experience in several of the following areas:

• Solid state batteries
• Solid electrolytes
• Lithium metal batteries
• Lithium metal anodes
• Ceramic electrolytes
• Sulfide electrolytes
• Oxide electrolytes
• Polymer or composite electrolytes
• LLZO, LATP, LAGP, or related materials
• Lithium plating and stripping
• Solid electrolyte interface engineering
• Battery cell assembly
• Pouch cell fabrication
• Glovebox operation
• Dry room operation
• Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
• Battery failure analysis
• Materials characterization
• Electrode manufacturing
• Federal R&D programs
• SBIR or STTR projects
• DoD or DOE funded research
• Government technical reporting
• Technical proposal development
• Research project or program management

Experience working collaboratively with industry, universities, national laboratories, or U.S. Government research organizations is also highly desirable.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a researcher who combines strong scientific fundamentals with practical battery fabrication experience. The ideal candidate should not only understand battery materials theoretically but should also be comfortable working hands-on in the laboratory, assembling cells, troubleshooting experiments, interpreting electrochemical results, and developing new experimental approaches. We particularly value researchers who can independently take ownership of a technical objective and move it through:

• Scientific Hypothesis
• Experimental Design
• Material Preparation
• Cell Assembly
• Electrochemical Testing
• Data Analysis
• Physical Interpretation
• Technical Reporting

The successful candidate should be intellectually curious, scientifically rigorous, highly organized, and comfortable working in a fast-moving industrial R&D environment.

Why Join Soelect

This position provides an opportunity to conduct advanced battery research in an environment focused on moving technology from scientific concepts toward practical applications. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work directly with Soelect's scientists, engineers, and company leadership and may participate in collaborative programs with commercial battery companies, universities, research institutions, and U.S. Government organizations. The position offers exposure to research spanning lithium metal batteries, solid state batteries, advanced battery materials, electrode manufacturing, and next generation energy storage technologies. For a researcher interested in combining fundamental battery science with practical technology development and commercialization, this position provides a unique opportunity to contribute to emerging battery technologies from the laboratory through real-world applications.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental