DGS - Postdoctoral Fellow (Synthesis of Single-Bonded Nitrogen Compounds)

Job Posting Title:

DGS - Postdoctoral Fellow (Synthesis of Single-Bonded Nitrogen Compounds)

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Hiring Department:

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Mar 01, 2026

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin seeks to hire a talented and innovative postdoctoral scholar. The scholar will be supervised by a Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, but will be encouraged to seek collaborations across the Department of Geological Sciences and the Texas Materials Institute.

The postdoctoral appointment is initially for a twelve (12) month period, with the aim for an extension for another twelve (12) months pending a successful first-year evaluation.

The application package should include:

• A document outlining past achievements and general research interests (1 page);

• A research proposal outlining the scientific problems the applicate aims to tackle during this postdoctoral appointment (2-3 pages)

• A CV including a list of publications

• A list with the names of three (3) potential references to contact

Upload all materials to Workday, incomplete applications will not be considered.  Top applicants will also be asked to submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

Purpose

The postdoc fellow will work with the faculty supervisor in the Mineral Physics Group on the project. The scientific responsibility of the postdoc fellow is to use high pressure-temperature techniques and/or nanoparticle catalysts method to find conditions to synthesize single-bonded nitrogen compounds and to characterize the compounds using laser spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques.

Responsibilities

• The main responsibilities of the postdoc fellow are to find routes to synthesize and characterize novel single-bonded nitrogen (N-N) compounds such as hexazine and polymeric nitrogen. This could be done in three ways: (1) varying high pressure-temperature; scaling up the process in a large volume chamber devise; and nanoparticle catalyst processes.

• The postdoc will conduct experiments using high pressure-temperature techniques (mainly laser-heated diamond-anvil cells), synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction, chemical reactors with nanoparticles, and/or Raman spectroscopy.

• The postdoc will conduct X-ray diffraction refinements and Raman characterizations in the Mineral Physics Laboratory.

• The position requires some travels to synchrotron radiation centers such as the Advanced Photon Source to conduct high pressure-temperature experiments.

• The postdoc fellow will work with the supervisor to write up research results for scientific publications and for annual reports to Welch Foundation.

Required Qualifications

Recent doctorate in physics, mineral physics, chemistry, material science or a closely related field at the time of appointment. PhD must have been earned within the past three years. Experience with high-pressure diamond anvil cell techniques. Knowledge of condensed matter physics. Experience in processing laser spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction data. Strong verbal and written communication skills in science. Strong creativity and problem-solving skills in laboratory experiments. Complete application package as described above

Preferred Qualifications

Research experience in diamond anvil cells or chemical reaction and synthesis using nanoparticle as catalysts. Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction skills. Publication track record. Strong letters of recommendation.

Salary Range

$65,000

Working Conditions

• Work in the standard office and laboratory conditions

• Travels to synchrotron radiation centers for experiments

• Operation of laboratory equipment including lasers

• Operation of diamond anvil cells and gas loading system

• Handling of small micro-sized samples under microscopes

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 .

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.