Nanoscience Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Posting Details

Position Information

Position Number 997938 Functional Title Nanoscience Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Position Type Research Position Eclass EP - EHRA 12 mo leave earning University Information

Located in North Carolina's third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal - helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University's 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.

Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit

The mission of the Nanoscience department is to prepare students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to conduct basic and advanced research in Nanoscience in industrial, governmental or academic settings. Within this context, the Nanoscience Department provides a graduate level trans-disciplinary educational and discovery research experience in the nanosciences, sustainable nanosystems, innovation and community engaged outreach. It also works collaboratively with the Nanoengineering Department to achieve an integrated foundational research program in emerging high impact areas. Scientists in this new and emerging field seek to comprehend, gather and organize knowledge of the nanoworld through careful observations and creative, visionary thinking.

Nanoscience is a multidisciplinary field bringing together vast knowledge from mathematics and all the core sciences: physics, biology, chemistry, and from their derivatives such as material science, pharmacology, neurochemistry, ecology etc. Consequently, nanoscientists are scientists engaging in an organized activity of manipulation of materials at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales that are versatile and fluent in mathematics and the core sciences with a particular world view based on the synergy of these core sciences and on their derived applications to the macro world. Nanoscience is a new way of thinking about old things.

Position Summary

Dr. Rathnayake's Nanomaterials laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on NCI Funded project that focuses on scalable synthesis of cathode materials. A talented individual should have expertise in battery materials, cathode fabrication, and electrochemical property evaluation, colin cell fabrication, and process engineering. This project is highly translational and involve sharp deadlines and deliverables. Individual with devotion to the work with strong work ethics will be considered, including meeting report submission deadlines, and project deliverable on time.

The primary responsibilities include: (1) Cathode materials synthesis using a scalable reactor design approach. (50%), and (2) Electrode preparation using roll-to-roll approach (25%), and (3) participate in customer discoveries and marketing research (10%), and (4) Scientific report writing and deliverables reports preparation.

In addition, this position expects driving the project goals and meeting the project objectives on-time with excellent work ethics to meet the project deliverables quarterly.

Primary Tasks:

(1) Conducting cathode materials synthesis and scaling up to meet the project goal.

(2) Designing and optimization of the reactor and process engineering:

• Develop measurement protocols
• Electrochemical characterization
• Analytical characterization
• Coin cells preparation and testing

(3) Write scientific reports and prepare manuscripts for publication:

• Produce quarterly reports based on project outcomes to report to funders
• Prepare results and write manuscripts for submission for peer-review
• Organize results that will be used as preliminary data for grant applications, and participate in writing grants
• Provide weekly oral presentation reports at group meetings and biweekly written reports
• Attend NCI meetings

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in materials science, chemical engineering, or Chemistry with strong research background in battery chemistry.
• Minimum of one year experience in battery cell testing and cathode fabrication.
• Working knowledge and experience in the characterization using analytical instrumentations, and electrochemical measurements.
• Ability to develop technical reports describing the outcome of the project.

Additional Required Certifications, Licensures, and Certificates Preferred Qualifications

• Over 3 years of experience in li-ion battery chemistry.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to utilize analytical data and use the data to write scientific articles for publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Special Instructions to Applicants Recruitment Range $61,800 Org #-Department Nanoscience - 13202 Job Open Date 09/14/2026 For Best Consideration Date Job Close Date Open Until Filled Yes FTE 1.000 Type of Appointment Time Limited If time-limited, please specify end date for appointment.

One year appointment, with possibility of reappointment

Number of Months per Year 12 FLSA Exempt

Key Responsibilities

____

Percentage Of Time 50 Key Responsibility

Cathode materials synthesis using a scalable reactor design approach

Essential Tasks

• Conducting cathode materials synthesis and scaling up to meet the project goal.

Percentage Of Time 25 Key Responsibility

Electrode preparation using roll-to-roll approach

Essential Tasks

• Designing and optimization of the reactor and process engineering
• Develop measurement protocols
• Electrochemical characterization
• Analytical characterization
• Coin cells preparation and testing

Percentage Of Time 10 Key Responsibility

Customer and Marketing Research

Essential Tasks

• Participate in customer discoveries and marketing research

Percentage Of Time 15 Key Responsibility

Scientific report writing and deliverables reports preparation

Essential Tasks

• Produce quarterly reports based on project outcomes to report to funders.
• Prepare results and write manuscripts for submission for peer-review.
• Organize results that will be used as preliminary data for grant applications, and participate in writing grants.
• Provide weekly oral presentation reports at group meetings and biweekly written reports.
• Attend NCI meetings.

ADA Checklist

ADA Checklist

R for Rare (0-30%), O for Occasional (30-60%), F for Frequent (60-90%), C for Constant (90-100%).

Physical Effort Hand Movement-Repetitive Motions - f, Hand Movement-Grasping - o, Holding - o, Finger Dexterity - o, Vision-Skilled Trades - f, Reading - f, Writing - f, Eye-hand coordination - o, Vision-Color Distinction - o, Vision-Preparing/Analyzing figures - o, Vision-Visual inspection - o, Vision-Measuring/Assembling at distance close to eye - r, Hearing - f, Talking - o, Standing - o, Sitting - o, Walking - o, Lifting-0-30 lbs. - o, Lifting-30-60 lbs. - o, Lifting-60-90 lbs. - r, Lifting-90 plus lbs. - r, Pushing/Pulling - o, Climbing-Stairs - o Work Environment

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents

• Other Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • Please indicate how you learned of the vacant position for which you are applying:

• UNCGjobsearch Website

• Greensboro News & Record

• Carolina Peacemaker

• Other Newspaper

• The Chronicle of Higher Education

• Inside Higher Ed

• Other Professional Journal

• NCWorks.gov

• UNC System Job Board

• Other Online Job Board

• Personal Networking

• Other

• • If you selected "Other", please provide the name of the resource here.

(Open Ended Question)

• • Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship for employment at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro?

• Yes

• No

• • Are you eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship?

• yes

• no