CAST Postdoctoral Associate CY
Job Description
The Department of Mining & Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech invites applications for a postdoctoral associate position. The successful applicant is expected to play an active role in the research conducted in Dr. Aaron Noble’s group, which focuses on critical material recovery, process and circuit modeling, and techno economic analyses.
The postdoctoral associate will assist and lead several ongoing and forthcoming projects including, but not limited to: recovery of rare earth elements and critical minerals from acid mine drainage, process economic evaluation and optimization, and sample data analysis and database development. The breadth of research activities for the postdoctoral associate will be broad; however, particular emphasis will be placed on techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis of the process technologies being developed by the research group.
The postdoctoral associate will co-supervise and mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers working in the group, while also working closely with external collaborators representing a broad spectrum of disciplinary expertise. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to develop products that emerge from these efforts including peer reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, and new proposals for sponsored research. As such, occasional travel will likely be required.
Required Qualifications
• PhD in a related discipline. PhD awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and publish peer-reviewed publications in the field of process engineering.
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to independently assume tasks identified through collective efforts and complete this through a strong work ethic and self-motivation
• Strong interest in building and working in collaborative teams to achieve broad goals.
• Ability to obtain and maintain work approval from the research sponsor.
Preferred Qualifications
• Prior experience in process techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis.
• Prior experience in advance optimization methods utilizing MATLAB, Python, Baron, or other packages.
• Demonstrated experience using METSIM or other metallurgical and/or chemical process modeling software.
• Credentials and experience that show a trajectory toward future employment as a tenure-track faculty at a research intensive institution;
• PE or EIT Designation.
• Demonstrated experience using SimaPro or other life cycle analysis software
Appointment Type
Restricted
Review Date
May 4, 2021
Additional Information
The candidate will need to obtain and maintain work approval from the research sponsor.
The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
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If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Annie Lawrence at annie.lawrence@vt.edu 540-231-5594 during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.