Research Associate, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering Full-time

Research Associate, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

This is a grant-funded position with an expected end date of May 31, 2028. Continuation of the role is contingent upon ongoing grant funding. The position is PI-eligible, and as such the individual in this position will have the opportunity to apply for grant funding independently and/or in collaboration with Professor Hildebrandt Ruiz.

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 (UT 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 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 Cap Metro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

A Research Associate position is available in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, supervised by Professor Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz. This position will include work on a variety of air quality measurement studies in the laboratory and in the field and will also include project management and mentorship opportunities and responsibilities, as described in more detail below.

Responsibilities

• Ambient measurements (requires travel): Conduct ambient measurement campaigns utilizing stationary and mobile measurement platforms (requires Texas driver's license), in collaboration with other team members and collaborators. Take a leading role in coordinating measurement plans and other project activities, including analysis of data. Total travel depends on project details; we estimate approximately 2 weeks of travel every 2-3 months.
• Communication: Prepare scientific papers and reports; present scientific results to collaborators and sponsors, and at major conferences. Communicate results to non-technical audiences in industry, government, and the public.
• Laboratory chamber experiments: Conduct laboratory chamber experiments in collaboration with other team members and collaborators. Take a leading role in planning experiments and analysis of data.
• Project Management: Propose, plan, schedule, coordinate, complete and report the detailed phases of parts of ongoing projects in the group; devise new approaches to problems encountered. Lead and manage projects involving multiple universities and outside organizations to ensure deadlines and deliverables are completed on schedule.
• Mentorship: Mentor students, post-doctoral scholars, and other personnel on projects by training them, organizing and conducting regular meetings, and tracking progress throughout the duration of the project.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or closely related discipline.
• Proficiency in using advanced mass spectrometric instrumentation, including chemical ionization mass spectrometers or aerosol mass spectrometers, or closely related instrumentation
• Proficiency in quantitative analyses utilizing mass spectrometric instrumentation
• Proficiency in Igor Pro and mass spectrometric data analysis using this software
• Ability to communicate research in writing and orally to broad audiences
• Ability to obtain UT Austin driver status, which requires a Texas driver's license (needed to conduct mobile measurements)

Preferred Qualifications

• Postdoctoral research experience
• Mentoring experience
• Fieldwork experience
• Demonstrated experience in statistical modeling, data analysis, and scientific programming languages (Python, Matlab, or R)
• Familiar with geographical information systems like ArcGIS

Driving Required

This job requires a class “C” operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three-year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident. Employees who are required to have a CDL are subject to drug and alcohol testing (pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, random, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing).

Salary Range

$80,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions

Physical Tasks

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• 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