Postdoctoral Fellow-CEE | The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Position Number : POST40 Department : College of Engineering (Col) Employment Type : Temporary - Part-time Months Per Year : 12 Essential Duties and Responsibilities : A Postdoctoral Fellow (""postdoc"") is a professional apprenticeship designed to provide recent Ph.

D. recipients with an opportunity to develop further the research skills acquired in their doctoral programs or to learn new research techniques, in preparation for an academic or research career.

In the process of further developing their own research skills, it is expected that Postdoctoral Fellows will also play a significant role in the performance of research at the University and augment the role of graduate faculty in providing research instruction to graduate students.

A Postdoctoral Fellow works under the supervision of a regular faculty member, who serves as a mentor to the Fellow, and it is expected that the faculty mentor will impart the realities, and variety, of scientific careers, and will encourage experiences outside the laboratory to broaden postdocs' aspirations.

Within the confines of the particular research focus assigned by that faculty member, the Postdoctoral Fellow functions with a considerable degree of independence and has the freedom (and is expected) to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of appointment.

Thus, the role of Postdoctoral Fellows is clearly differentiated from full-time technical employees. The employee will report to Professor Mei Sun and will be a senior member of Professor Mei Sun's research group, supporting projects through original research, collaboration with other team members, and mentoring of students.

The employee will also contribute to additional proposal efforts, thereby strengthening UNC Charlotte's ability to attract external funding.

The employee's principal research responsibilities are to design and execute studies on detection and quantification of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ).

The employee will confer with Professor Mei Sun on overall research direction and strategy but will exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment and original thinking in carrying out research that contributes to original knowledge and advances the University's reputation in research.

The employee will publish research results, in collaboration with Professor Mei Sun, in recognized journals. The employee will share student mentoring with Professor Mei Sun and will participate in departmental seminars and other professional activities as assigned.

The employee should be able to exercise scientific judgment on a day-to-day basis. The employee will evaluate incoming information in the form of experimental data and observations, written literature documentation, and oral communications, and will use this information to make judgments about what step(s) will next lead to progress in the project(s).

Postdoc appointments are characterized by all of the following conditions :

• the appointee was recently (within the last eight years) awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.);
• the appointment is temporary;
• the appointment involves substantially full-time research or scholarship;
• the appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic and / or research career;
• the appointee works under the supervision of a faculty member; and
• the appointee has the freedom and is expected to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship during the period of appointment.

As an EOE / AA employer and an ADVANCE Institution that strives to create an academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte encourages applications from all underrepresented groups.

Applicants subject to criminal background check. Minimum Experience / Education : The Postdoctoral appointee must have recently (within the last eight years) been awarded a Ph.

D. or equivalent doctorate (e.g., Sc.D., M.D.) Preferred Education Skills and Experience : 1. Ph.D. in environmental engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, or other related fields.

2. Ability to design and conduct experiments, operate laboratory equipment, and analyze data. 3. Experience with mass spectrometry and chromatography, preferably in the context of PFAS Research.

4. Good oral and written communication skills.