Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job no: 530337
Position type: Staff Full Time
Benefit Status: Benefited-Union
Campus: UMass Lowell
Department: Plastics Engineering
Salary: See posting section for salary range details.
Applications Open: Oct 09 2026
Applications Close: Open until filled

General Summary of Position:

The Integrated Nuclear Security and Safeguards Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Lowell invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support a U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA)-funded research initiative focused on advancing scientific understanding of front-end uranium fuel cycle processes.

The successful candidate will conduct research at the intersection of nuclear chemical engineering, laboratory experimentation, and computational process modeling, contributing to the development of improved approaches for uranium purification and chemical processing. Research activities will focus on the chemistry and engineering of lanthanide and actinide dissolution, separations, purification, and conversion processes relevant to pre-irradiated uranium materials.

The project integrates laboratory investigations with computational modeling to improve understanding of chemical process performance and support development of predictive tools for front-end fuel cycle applications. Depending on the candidate’s background, responsibilities may emphasize experimental research, computational modeling, or a combination of both. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to expanding the laboratory’s capabilities in these areas while working closely with faculty and students.

This position offers an outstanding opportunity to collaborate with faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers at U.S. national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), while helping train the next generation of nuclear chemical engineers and fuel cycle scientists.

Essential Job Duties:

• Conduct research and development on lanthanides and actinides enrichment chemistries, including dissolution, separations, and conversion processes, with an emphasis on pre-irradiated uranium processing.
• Develop, implement, and validate computational models of lanthanides and actinides chemical processes and integrated flowsheets, including effluent and emission signatures.
• Design and perform laboratory experiments that support model development and process validation.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students engaged in the project’s educational mission.
• Contribute to technical progress reports, publications, and presentations for DOE/NNSA and scientific audiences.

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Radiochemistry, or a closely related field (degree must be completed by appointment start).

Demonstrated expertise in one or more areas of the nuclear fuel cycle, particularly lanthanides and actinides dissolution, separations, or conversion chemistry.

Experience with computational modeling and simulation of chemical or nuclear systems or hands-on laboratory skills applicable to chemical process development, validation, and safety.

Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical reports, develop and present course modules and peer-reviewed publications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with flowsheet modeling or system-level process integration (e.g., Aspen Plus, gPROMS, COMSOL, custom Python/Matlab frameworks).
• Familiarity with uncertainty quantification/sensitivity analysis methods.
• Prior work with DOE laboratories or collaborative research projects in nuclear chemical engineering experiments.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and mentor students in research settings.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Only current UML Employees within the Grants & Contracts (MTA/GRACE) bargaining unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

This position is full-time, benefited and in the Grants & Contracts union in grade PD. Formal salary range is minimum: $50,000, 25th quartile: $56,500 and midpoint of $63,000. This position has an anticipated salary of $60,000-$65,000.

The initial appointment will be for one year. This position is contingent upon funding.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; however, the posting may close when an adequate number of qualified applications is received.

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process.

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