Chemical Specialist
Job Description
The Department of Mining & Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech seeks a qualified, highly motivated individual for a unique research position in chemical separations of rare earth elements. The successful candidate will work closely with faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students and is expected to play active role in the research conducted in Dr. Aaron Noble’s group, which focuses on critical material recovery from unconventional sources.
The Chemical Specialist will be responsible for developing and performing chemical separation tests utilizing standard procedures and methods. The successful candidate will maintain a detailed experimental notebook and preform quality assurance and quality control testing to verify the suitability of various procedures. The successful candidate will coordinate supplemental analysis with external laboratories and communicate findings in a timely manner. The Chemical Specialist will development standard operating procedures for new testing protocols and train new users as needed. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to co-author products that emerge from these efforts including sponsor reports and peer reviewed manuscripts
.
Required Qualifications
• BS in chemistry, or a related field.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• The ability to prioritize work demands and maintain operational consistency while working on time sensitive projects.
• The ability to work independently with meticulous detail, often with little direct supervision.
• A commitment to safe work practices in the laboratory.
• Ability to obtain and maintain work approval from the research sponsor.
Preferred Qualifications
• Previous research/university experience.
• Prior experience with hydrometallurgical processes, including leaching, liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, and/or related methods.
• Prior experience with other analytical equipment and procedures, including: XRF, laser size analysis, TGA, AA, and/or SEM-EDS.
• mineral processing laboratory operations, including sampling, splitting, and handling.
• Prior experience with mineral digestions, including strong acid digestions, fusions, and/or microwave-assisted digestions.
Pay Band
4
Appointment Type
Restricted
Review Date
May 04, 2021
Additional Information
The candidate may have 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.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Annie Lawrence at annie.lawrence@vt.edu or 540-231-5594 during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.