Director of the Resnick Solar Science and Catalysis Center (SSCC) Facility

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Job Summary

We seek a scientist or engineer experienced in solar energy harvesting and catalysis to direct the new Resnick Solar Science and Catalysis Center (SSCC). This individual will play a critical role in defining the scope of the facility and coordinating its capabilities/investments with those in partnering organizations, such as the Liquid Sunlight Alliance. The primary mission of the Director will be to turn the Caltech SSCC into a world-class resource for the synthesis, characterization, and testing of molecules and materials for solar energy harvesting and sustainable catalysis. 

This is an Organizational Critical position. An employee designated as organizational critical is expected to report to campus as soon as possible to assist in division/department response and recovery efforts.

Essential Job Duties

• Manage day-to-day research activities of the SSCC facility.
• Help Caltech scientists and engineers use the facility to solve interdisciplinary problems (including the training of students/postdocs/faculty in various synthetic and characterization methods) involving the study of diverse materials and molecules.
• Partner with facility directors at Caltech and outside of Caltech (e.g., at the Liquid Sunlight Alliance, SLAC National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside) to develop synergistic facility capabilities. This will involve the selection, acquisition, and maintenance of a diverse set of instruments.
• Conduct long-term original research with the potential for transformative impact that is incompatible within the timeframe of a typical PhD or postdoctoral project. Publish papers and present results of the work at professional meetings and conferences.
• Apply for federal and private grants to augment the resources of the SSCC as needed.
• Train and supervise a technician or graduate laboratory assistant.
• Work together with the RSI Executive Director of Operations and a grants manager on the development of the annual budget for the SSCC.
• Participate in RSI workshops and outreach and other outreach activities.
• Process and maintain sensitive and confidential information.
• Perform other related job duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science or related field.
• Expertise in synthesis, characterization, and testing of materials for solar energy harvesting and catalysis.
• Expertise in setting up new analytical instruments and troubleshooting their use.
• Drive to learn new approaches in solar science and catalysis research to keep the SSCC facility state-of-the-art.
• Experience in training and mentoring students, and other researchers.
• Ability to work well in a collaborative way with different individuals, including research and administrative staff.
• Ability to coordinate with the directors of complementary Caltech facilities.
• Strong writing and speaking skills, including success in applying for federal grants.
• Creativity and high scientific standards (both rigor and ethics).
• Attention to detail and good time management skills; must have the ability to prioritize, organize, and multitask.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with in situ and operando spectroscopic characterization.
• Experience with tabletop X-Ray sources for materials characterization.
• Experience in high throughput screening of molecules and materials.
• 5 years of work experience or equivalent.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Two References (two letters of recommendation or contact information for two references)