Post-Doc Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering ( ESE) is one of eight academic units in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. The Department's primary focus is on research and graduate education at the interface of the environment and human health, with an increasing emphasis on undergraduate education. The Department has tenured and tenure-track faculty, academic fixed-term faculty and research faculty. The current student body comprises approximately 120 graduate students and 50 undergraduate students.

The successful candidate will perform research investigating molecular-level processes in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and how these processes inform observable macroscopic properties as part of the activities of the UNC Superfund Research Program ( SRP) (https://sph.unc.edu/superfund-pages/srp/). This work involves running, developing, and analyzing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to understand water and solute transport through highly crosslinked polyamide systems. The postdoctoral researcher will study polymer chemistry, crosslinking mechanisms, and transport processes; develop or extend computational tools for analyzing membrane structure and dynamics; and apply theoretical frameworks for connecting molecular and continuum scales. This work bridges fundamental science and applied membrane design, contributing to the development of next-generation membranes. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with a team of computational and experimental researchers. In addition to research activities, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, proposal writing, and other related academic activities.

Required qualifications for this position are a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, computational chemistry, materials science, physics, or a closely related field, with prior programming experience demonstrated through coursework, research projects, or professional work.

Applicants must have experience writing and modifying scientific code, performing data analysis or simulation workflows, and proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, C, C++, or similar.

Preferred qualifications include experience with molecular dynamics or atomistic simulations, supercomputing or HPC environments, scientific code development or open-source contributions, polymer chemistry, and mathematics, modeling, or numerical methods. An established record of research productivity is highly desired.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.