Materials Research Scientist IV - Materials Discovery Research Institute

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Materials Research Scientist IV at UL Research Institutes Material Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) in our Skokie, IL facilities.

The Materials Research Scientist will play a pivotal role in accelerating the discovery and synthesis of innovative materials for renewable energy conversion and storage that extend beyond lithium-ion technologies. This objective will be achieved through the application of high-throughput experimental methodologies, computational design, and the MDRI's automated LIMS system. The Materials Scientist will be responsible for defining, developing, and validating new materials for critical components of renewable energy systems, with the intent of enhancing performance, reducing costs, and increasing operational lifespan.

The Materials Scientist will characterize materials and elucidate the relationship between their structures and their physical and chemical properties, focusing on active metals, novel alloys, polymers, and conductive porous materials. The Materials Scientist will conduct experiments to evaluate the electrochemical performance of these materials and will perform root-cause analyses to address material failure mechanisms.

Furthermore, the Materials Scientist will apply their expertise to discover new materials, develop advanced synthesis methods, and innovate characterization techniques across various domains of renewable energy conversion and storage. This includes, but is not limited to, water and CO2 electrolyzers, flow batteries, fuel cells, solid-state batteries, hydrogen storage, electroplating, and sensors. These efforts are intended to advance research and innovation within the institute.

Materials Discovery Research Institute:

The Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) works to develop and deploy new materials with the potential to address current global safety challenges. Pursuing materials that will help produce transformational safety breakthroughs, MDRI harnesses the power of advanced computing and high-throughput experimental methods to create innovative materials that will produce resilience for a sustainable future and protect individual and societal health.

We focus on today's critical challenges, working to create new and better materials that will support renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Among our top priorities is research into materials capable of carbon capture and energy storage, with an eye toward reducing the adverse impacts of humanity's reliance upon fossil fuel resources and enabling a transition to renewable energy sources.

Above all, our research builds on our commitment to a safer, more sustainable future.

UL Research Institutes:

At UL Research Institutes, we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Office of Partnership team who facilitates the research required to produce that knowledge and put into practice.

Through all of our programs, we aim to unlock the diverse perspectives that are essential for solving the world's most pressing safety and sustainability issues.

What you'll learn and achieve:

As the Material Scientist, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Conduct research and innovate new materials for renewable energy conversion and storage systems through high-throughput experimentation and computational design. This includes the investigation of active metals, novel alloys, polymers, and conductive porous materials.

• Engage in comprehensive studies on the structure-property relationships of new materials, with a focus on critical components within renewable energy systems. This encompasses the development of new electrocatalysts for both cathode and anode applications, as well as separators, coatings, bipolar plates, and electrolytes.

• Design and implement novel protocols for material synthesis, and adapt procedures, methods, or instrumentation as necessary throughout the research process.

• Lead small research teams in the fabrication, characterization, and testing of electrochemical systems that incorporate new materials, including but not limited to water and CO2 electrolyzers, fuel cells, flow batteries, and solid-state batteries

• Perform evaluations of electrochemical kinetics and conduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) studies to gain insight into the performance limitations and degradation of materials.

• Systematically enhance the performance and durability of renewable energy conversion and storage systems by developing new materials, improving the structural design of electrodes or cells, and optimizing operational conditions to minimize costs and extend the lifespan of the systems.

• Collect and analyze experimental data utilizing advanced instrumentation and software tools. Interpret results thoughtfully to contribute to the advancement of knowledge within the field.

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams consisting of computational scientists, data scientist, chemists, physicists, engineers, and other researchers. Present research findings at conferences, seminars, and workshops.

• Publish research articles in reputable peer-reviewed journals.

• Stay updated on the latest developments in materials science, electrochemistry, electrocatalysis, and related fields.

• Propose innovative research ideas and projects that align with ULRI's grand challenge commitment: Building resilience for a sustainable future.

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What you'll experience working at UL Research Institutes:

For the organizations across the UL enterprise, corporate and social responsibility isn't new. We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You'll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today's global challenges require.

• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what's on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You'll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

• Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in the synthesis and characterization of inorganic and hybrid materials with a strong handle on correlating structure-property relationships

• Proficient in electrochemical evaluation of materials and capable of designing experimental strategies to target optimal performance at minimal cost

• Skilled with various organic, inorganic and nanomaterial characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

• Skilled in designing and conducting experiments, as well as troubleshooting lab equipment.

• Excellent communication skills for effective collaboration, presentations, and scientific writing.

• Capable of working independently as well as collaboratively within a team and leading a team toward technical milestones.

• Attention to detail and commitment to safety in laboratory environments.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor's degree in materials engineering, chemical engineering, electrochemical engineering, or a related field plus 10 or more years of directly related work experience or

• Master's degree in materials engineering, chemical engineering, electrochemical engineering, or a related field plus 6 or more years of directly related work experience or

• PhD in materials engineering, chemical engineering, electrochemical engineering, or a related field or equivalent experience plus 4 or more years of directly related work experience.

• Experience in an academic or industrial lab setting after graduation is preferred.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, UL Solutions, advances our shared public safety mission. We fund our work through grants, the licensing of standards documents and the business activities of UL Solutions, which conducts testing, verification and certification, and provides training and advisory services, along with data-driven reporting and decision-making tools for customers around the world.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

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