Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Water and the Environment Full-time

Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Water and the Environment

Hiring Department: Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt

Earliest Start Date: Feb 01, 2026

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Mar 01, 2030

Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

General Notes: As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation's most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin – named “America's Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report – the Cockrell School embodies the city's innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google, and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

At UT Austin, we say “What starts here changes the world.” As a member of the university community, you will be part of an organization that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will have meaning and make a difference not only in the lives of our faculty, staff, and students, but also those who are impacted by our first class academic and research programs.

UT Austin, recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers, provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 7.75% employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to strengthen the synthetic chemistry section of our laboratory. The successful candidate will be an expert in supramolecular chemistry with strong experience in organic synthesis and will contribute to the design and synthesis of small organic molecules, including biomimetic artificial ion transporters for nutrient and metal ions. This position offers an exciting opportunity to help shape a growing research program and to work on cutting-edge projects at the interface of synthetic chemistry and membrane science.

Responsibilities

• Conduct multi-step organic synthesis and polymer synthesis
• Expertise and interest in retrosynthesis and development of new synthesis schemes
• Characterization of artificial and biological ion channels.
• Plan, execute, and analyze experiments independently.
• Fabricate different type of lipid and/or polymeric membranes
• Conduct experiments to evaluate membrane ion–ion separation performance.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and prepare data for publications and presentations.
• Work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented research environment.
• Assist in the preparation of research proposals and grant applications.
• Be the point person for putting reports together for funding agencies
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students, as appropriate.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field, completed by the start date of the appointment and be within 3 years of receipt of doctoral degree.
• Demonstrated expertise in organic synthesis, including multi-step synthesis and compound characterization.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience with ion and/or water transport assays across lipid and/or polymeric membranes.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with transport measurements, including electrophysiological measurements, stopped-flow–based measurements, and other common spectroscopic assays.

Salary Range

$ 61,093+ depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work with hazardous chemicals
• May work with compressed gas cylinders
• May work with high pressure and temperature equipment
• May work around standard office conditions
• Use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest