Postdoctoral Research Associate

Tennessee Tech University - Cookeville, TN

Full-time - Entry Level

Cookeville, TN

Educational Services

About the position

The Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Tennessee Tech University involves working on a multidisciplinary project focused on the development of heteroaryl Lewis basic complexants for selective minor actinide separations from used nuclear fuel. The role requires collaboration within a multidisciplinary team and mentoring of M.S. and undergraduate trainees, while maintaining a professional and safe laboratory environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct early validation of novel heterocyclic Lewis-basic complexant scaffolds for selective liquid-liquid separations of minor actinides from lanthanides.
• Utilize various analytical instruments including Gamma, UV-Visible, ICP-OES, NIR, NMR spectroscopy, HPLC, fluorescence, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction for research purposes.
• Document results and manage workflow effectively, including adapting to shifting priorities.
• Mentor M.S. and undergraduate trainees in the laboratory setting.
• Present oral and written research results to a multidisciplinary team.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in radiochemistry, analytical, inorganic, or organic chemistry.
• Extensive expertise with analytical instruments such as Gamma, UV-Visible, ICP-OES, NIR, NMR spectroscopy, HPLC, fluorescence, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
• Ability to document results and manage workflow while maintaining a professional, clean, and safe working environment.
• Desire to mentor trainees and interact professionally with a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to effectively present research results.

Nice-to-haves

• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Interest in participating in external proposal writing.
• Experience with computational calculations using DFT.
• Experience in multi-step organic synthesis involving air and moisture sensitive reagents.
• Experience in compound purification using flash chromatography and recrystallization.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• 401(k) plan
• Two vacation days per month
• One sick leave day per month
• Thirteen University holidays
• Educational benefits