Postdoctoral Researcher - Iron and Steel Decarbonization

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Mar 27

Applications are closed

Job
Full-time
Entry Level
Research & Development
Science
$71.3K - $117.6K
Golden

Requirements

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have a PhD in Metallurgy, Metallurgical Engineering, Metallurgical Chemistry, or related field.
The successful candidate will demonstrate experimentally-based expertise in:
Metallurgy
Direct reduction of iron ores
Iron ore processing
A candidate with a strong fundamental knowledge of metallurgical principles who can translate this understanding to applied problems is sought. Creative, critical thinking across a wide variety of disciplines and research areas will be essential.
A strong record of teamwork, mentorship, project management, and leadership are desired. The successful candidate will work closely with engineers, scientists, and students in many different fields, and will work to establish collaborations both within NREL and with partner organizations. As such, demonstration of an ability to participate in, to facilitate, and to lead collaborations is important. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to encourage and maximize the unique talents and innovative ideas of a diverse array of collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds.
In addition to strong teamwork, candidates must demonstrate a history of working independently and taking initiative. Candidates must demonstrate ability to design high-quality research projects and to interpret and communicate experimental results. The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with a strong record of contributions to the field. Teamwork, leadership, and collaboration will be essential.
Ideally, the candidate will have expertise in:
Iron carburization
Smelting
Electric arc furnaces
Thermal management of ironmaking processes
Renewable energy integration with industrial processes
Working closely with modeling experts
Steelmaking
Preferred qualifications include:
Experience developing new laboratory capabilities
Leadership experience
A strong history of publication
Applied work (e.g., with the steel industry or related field)

Responsibilities

NREL's Building Thermal Energy Sciences group has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher to support a green steel production (decarbonized steel) project, addressing the ~8% of global annual CO2 emissions generated by the steel industry. The ideal candidate will have background in metallurgical processes, preferably focused on ironmaking. The candidate should have experience leading experimental work in this area.
Specifically, the project focuses on hydrogen direct reduction of iron ores including thermal management, energy/mass balance, and chemical requirements of the process for steel production. Ore pre-processing, carburization, smelting, and electric arc furnace processing are also of interest.
Coordination with a large multi-institutional team and mentorship of interns and juniors will be required. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellent teamwork, strong leadership, and mentorship skills.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Science & Healthcare

Industry

1001-5000

Employees

1977

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a Department of Energy national lab, is #TransformingEnergy as the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL's Mission: NREL develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation's energy and environmental goals. NREL's Strategy: NREL has forged a focused strategic direction to increase its impact on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) and our nation's energy goals by accelerating the research path from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions.