Postdoctoral Research Associate - Research & Development of Advanced Cement and Concrete Technology

About the role

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security. Within ORNL, the Building Envelope Materials Research (BEMR) Group develops and deploys affordable, advanced, and resilient solutions for building envelopes of new construction and retrofits to enable DOE’s energy efficiency goals. Our synergistic research areas include building science, material and system development, and advanced construction. With support from the U.S. DOE Building Technologies and Industrial Technologies Offices, we maintain the most extensive building envelope research portfolio and manufacturing demonstration facility in the nation.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop the next generation of advanced, resilient, and durable cement and concrete technologies for use in construction.
• Develop experimental setups, conduct experiments, and analyze results.
• Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams composed of ORNL researchers with backgrounds in material science, neutron science, chemistry, manufacturing, computing, and other fields.
• Interact and collaborate with researchers from universities, national laboratories, and private industry.
• Present research results to ORNL staff, DOE, industry, and academia in the form of invited talks, conference papers, and peer-reviewed journal papers with high impact factors.
• Assist in the development and preparation of proposals.
• Ensure compliance with ORNL’s environmental, safety, health, and program requirements.
• Maintain a strong commitment to the implementation and continuation of ORNL’s values and ethics.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service.

Requirements

• PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, materials science/engineering or a related discipline completed within the last 5 years.
• Solid academic and research record relevant to the science and technology of cementitious materials.
• Knowledge of analytical characterization techniques and performance testing of cementitious materials.
• Knowledge of durability evaluation of cementitious materials.
• Experience setting and conducting laboratory experiments.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to support team building.
• Ability to work and demonstrate critical thinking individually and as part of a diverse team.
• Ability to develop and/or maintain strong relationships with professional societies.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever-changing needs.
• Strong, proven publication record.
• Self-motivated.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of cement chemistry.
• Experience in materials characterization using advanced analytical tools, such as synchrotron, neutron, and laboratory equipment.
• Experience with data analytics and modeling tools.

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 up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.