RAPID Postdoctoral Fellow

AIChE, founded in 1908, is a professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities, and government, using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. AIChE fosters and disseminates chemical engineering knowledge, assists the professional and personal growth of its members, and applies the expertise of its members to address societal needs and improve the quality of life. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security.

The RAPID Manufacturing Institute, part of the Manufacturing USA network, operates out of AIChE, in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), as a collaborative technology ecosystem (development, scale-up, education) to enable the transformation of the process industries for a decarbonized, energy and capital efficient future further advancing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

The position is nominally a 12-month postdoctoral appointment with a target start date of January 1, 2024, and ending no later than December 31, 2024, with an option to extend for another 12 months. The position may be fulfilled via telecommuting with a demonstrated ability to work across geographic boundaries with multi-location teams.

Position Summary
The RAPID Postdoctoral Fellow works with RAPID’s Technical Leadership as part of the Technical Department to facilitate a wide range of technical, and outreach activities within the RAPID Manufacturing Institute. The RAPID Postdoctoral Fellow works with a diverse RAPID staff and project teams from RAPID member organizations. The successful person for this role will coordinate seamlessly with project managers and have the ability to learn quickly, and engage technically in diverse projects in chemical engineering science. Experience in process development, process intensification, and/or process systems engineering is desired.

Responsibilities

• Participate in technical projects with direct task responsibilities (e.g. TEA/LCA, process modeling) supporting the development of advanced process technologies by RAPID and partners
• Provide technical insights needed to monitor project teams relative to milestones, identify any problems or successes, manage risks, clear roadblocks, and assist with work plan changes and/or project close-outs
• Assist senior-level RAPID technical team with research project teambuilding, engineering consulting, grant writing and other institute sustainability related activities
• Strategize with senior-level RAPID technical team staff to assist with strategic program management
• Evaluate, organize and distribute the tools and models part of the RAPID Software Toolbox
• Contribute to proposals for new funding opportunities to public (e.g. DOE, DOD) and private agencies
• Travel approximately up to 20%

Requirements

Competencies

• Communication skills (verbal and written)
• Accountability
• Collaboration
• Organized
• Meticulous

Preferred Software Proficiencies

• MS Office Products (PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Outlook)
• Web conferencing (e.g., WebEx, Zoom and Teams) software
• Experience using commercial process simulation and modeling software (e.g. Aspen Plus, Chemcad, gPROMS, Pro/II, etc.) and other custom modeling environments

Educational Requirements

• Ph.D. in chemical engineering or related discipline from an accredited university

Benefits

Compensation Contract January- December 2025- $65,000- $85,000

We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

• Bonus opportunity
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• 403b Retirement Plan with Company Match: AIChE 100% of the first 3% of your eligible pay you contribute to the plan
• Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Holiday pay
• Educational Assistance
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Company Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Various Employee Perks and Discounts

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.