Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical Engineering

Ensured consideration date: October 31, 2026. Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan. Our rural campus is situated near Lake Superior in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from over 60 countries. The university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with research focus areas including defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

About the role

Prof. Lei Pan’s research group at Michigan Technological University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in hydrometallurgical refining and lithium-ion battery recycling. The successful candidate will contribute to externally funded research focused on the hydrometallurgical processing of mine tailing and recycled battery materials, including both bench-scale work and pilot-scale validation. This role involves working in an interdisciplinary team at the interface of mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, and process scale-up.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct laboratory- and pilot-scale experiments in hydrometallurgical operation.
• Develop and optimize unit operations such as physical separation, leaching, impurity removal, solvent extraction, ion exchange, precipitation, crystallization, filtration, and product purification.
• Establish mass balances, evaluate process kinetics and selectivity, analyze scale-up data, and support techno-economic and sustainability assessments.
• Characterize feed materials, intermediates, and products using analytical tools (e.g., XRD, SEM-EDS, FTIR, particle size analysis).
• Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, technical reports for sponsors, presentations, and contributions to new research proposals.
• Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate researchers on related projects.
• Support day-to-day project management, including planning experiments, coordinating laboratory resources, documenting data, and communicating progress to the PI and project team.
• Maintain a strong safety record by following university policies, developing and updating SOPs, conducting risk assessments, and promoting a positive safety culture in the laboratory and pilot facilities.
• Commit to learning and applying continuous improvement strategies in everyday work.
• Actively engage in university continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• PhD in Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field. Candidates must have completed all PhD requirements by the appointment start date.
• Demonstrated graduate-level or professional research experience in hydrometallurgy, mineral processing, or closely related domains.
• Hands-on experience designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results for publication-quality research.
• Experience working safely with chemical processes, laboratory equipment, and research documentation in a laboratory or pilot-scale environment.
• Ability to publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and communicate technical results clearly in written and oral formats.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary research team.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple experimental tasks and deadlines.
• Commitment to laboratory safety, responsible conduct of research, and mentoring students in safe research practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in lithium-ion battery recycling, nickel/cobalt refining, or primary nickel ore processing.
• Experience with bench- or pilot-scale hydrometallurgical systems, including leaching, solid-liquid separation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, precipitation, crystallization, or electrowinning.
• Prior postdoctoral, industrial, national laboratory, or externally funded project experience.
• Experience with advanced characterization methods such as S-TEM, TGA/DSC.
• Familiarity with process simulation software, mass-balance calculations, kinetic modeling, statistical analysis, or data-driven process optimization.
• Demonstrated record of high-quality publications, proposal contributions, sponsor reporting, or student mentoring.
• Demonstrated success in, or potential for, working with persons from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.

Work Environment

Work will be performed in office, laboratory, and pilot-scale research settings. The environment may include routine use of chemical fume hoods, reactors, filtration equipment, pumps, analytical instruments, and pilot-scale processing equipment. The position may require standing for extended periods, handling laboratory samples and chemicals, lifting or moving research materials within safe limits, and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.

Pay

The minimum salary for this position is $60,000. The final salary will depend on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-time, 12-month appointment with an exempt FLSA status. This position is contingent upon the continued availability of external funding.

Training and Conditions of Employment

• Required university training: Employee Safety Overview, Anti-Harassment/Discrimination/Retaliation Training, Annual Data Security Training, and Annual Title IX Training.
• Background check required; offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion.
• Successful applicants must ensure eligibility to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.