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Postdoctoral Training Opportunity - Highly Recyclable Plastics

Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, Dow Chemical, Michelin, and Fenner Precision have received multi-year funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to pursue the responsible design of polymers from at least 50% biomass that are highly-recyclable. The design framework incorporates economic and environmental analysis of polymers designed for these traits as well as for benign degradation products at the end of life.  Analysis tools will include techno-economic analysis, life cycle analysis, and materials flow analysis

The lab is seeking a postdoctoral candidate for a position at Northwestern University to undertake these analyses. This position is open immediately.

This position is based at Northwestern and will leverage and interface with the University’s Program on Plastics, Ecosystems, and Public Health, Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering, and Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience. It will involve significant interaction between Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, with the postdoctoral researcher being an employee of Northwestern University and holding a joint appointment with Argonne National Laboratory. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to spend one to two days per week at Argonne.

Qualifications

  • Qualified individuals should have a PhD degree in chemical engineering or a related field
  • Successful candidates possess knowledge and experience in the following:
    • Process modeling in Aspen Plus and from first principles
    • Methods of techno-economic analysis
    • Life cycle analysis
    • Familiarity with Argonne National Laboratory Greenhouse gases, Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model
    • Materials flow analysis
  • Candidates should have significant expertise in working with MS Excel and other relevant software.
  • Knowledge of process modeling software including AspenPlus is also desired.
  • Programming in Python, R, Matlab, Java, or a similar language is ideal.
  • Writing VBA scripts and macros for MS Excel is also desired.
  • Good oral and written communication skills are also required

Please submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae(CV), and contact information for three references to jennifer.dunn1@northwestern.edu to apply.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.