Postdoctoral Fellow

Overview

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

About Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

About the School of Material Science & Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology

The School of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) has 42 academic faculty, 30 research faculty and post-docs, approximately 100 visiting scholars and Tech Temps, and 27 administrative and technical staff. The School is housed in five buildings and continues to diversify and expand the academic and research programs. To learn more about MSE, visit: www.mse.gatech.edu

Atlanta, GA

The Laboratory for Interface Science of Printable Electronic Materials, under the supervision of Erin Ratcliff in the Schools of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry and Biochemistry, is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Fellow to conduct fundamental research on the study of conducting polymer materials for the production of solar fuels (ACS Energy Letters 2023, 8, 12, 5116-5127). Central to the project includes the development, characterization, and optimization of photoelectrode devices and the use of spectro-electrochemical methods and technique development for understanding mechanisms of charge transport, charge transfer, and durability. The project will require maintaining collaborations and interactions with academia and national laboratories. In addition to research, all postdocs in our research group have the opportunity to be involved in grant writing, outlining projects, undergraduate mentoring, teaching, outreach, and other forms of career development. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have access to state-of-the-art characterization and spectroscopic capabilities located within the PI's laboratory. Central facilities including the Materials Characterization Facility provide a vast array of instrumental resources.

• Design of experiments, data interpretation and technique development for conducting polymer photoelectrodes for the production of solar fuels (i.e., hydrogen, oxygen, etc.)
• Actively participate in the dissemination of research findings through weekly meetings with the PI and other group members and interact with collaborators.
• Authoring of reports (both written and oral) and manuscripts associated with the project.
• Aid in the experimental training of graduate and undergraduate students.

Ph.D in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related area.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in spectro-electrochemistry methods. Knowledge of dark and light semiconductor electrochemistry, as it applies to solar fuels and/or (photo)catalysis, is highly desired. Applicants must be able to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

Additionally, they will possess:

• Candidates should be able to think at multiple length scales in electrochemistry data interpretation, including fundamental molecular understanding of the role of electrolyte/semiconductor interfaces.
• An enthusiasm for new technique development is highly desired, with a preference for experience in building electroanalytical capabilities preferred.
• A familiarity with printable electronic materials, including pi-conjugated polymers is encouraged, but emphasis for this position is on background knowledge of semiconductor electrochemistry for (photo)catalysis, including understanding of energy cascades and solar fuels.

• Complete CV-including list of publications
• One-page research interest statement
• List of three professional references with email contacts

Please contact Dr. Erin Ratcliff at eratcliff8@gatech.edu for more information.

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

More information on these policies can be found here: https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/c2714 Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).

The candidate of choice will be required to pass a pre-employment background screening. http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/pre-employment-screening.