Job Description

Application procedure: Please email a single PDF to with the following:

• Cover letter that describes your interest in the role, professional aspirations, and availability with respect to start date (January 2023 is preferred, but later dates will be considered);
• CV;
• Three papers that represent your best work;
• Names and email addresses for individuals willing to serve as references.

Overview: The Berlinguette Group at the University of British Columbia is an interdisciplinary team of
40 scientists and engineers who design and build electrochemical reactors to power the planet. We are seeking highly motivated, self-driven individuals to join a sub-group that studies nuclear fusion at low energy in solid-state materials. We specialize in the development of benchtop plasma fusion systems and materials that allow for expansive studies in underexplored energy regimes for nuclear fusion. This research thrust builds upon foundational work summarized in a 2019 Nature Perspective article entitled "Revisiting the Cold Case of Cold Fusion" ( ). Our mission is to create a low-cost energy source that can scale within the span of a human lifetime.

Position summary: This position leads the development of electrochemical methods for generating and characterizing metal hydride materials for use in an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. This will require a significant contribution to the coordination of experimental and analytical investigations by designing, constructing, installing, and maintaining scientific analytical instrumentation of a complex and technical nature. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with a team of scientists, engineers, and software developers at UBC to generate solutions that meet all respective design criteria for various components of the project and will contribute to project planning, high level communications with stakeholders, and technical mentorship of other team members.

Responsibilities:

Integrate electrochemical measurements in to a benchtop plasma reactor e.g.:

• Provide on-site leadership and expertise in electrochemistry;
• Prepare and characterize experimental samples;
• Operate and maintain laboratory equipment;
• Analyze, interpret, and summarize chemical and electrochemical data;
• Create models for electrochemical water splitting and implantation of hydrogen into palladium electrodes;
• Troubleshoot instrument and equipment failures;
• Develop SOPs for common laboratory procedures;
• Manage the manufacturing/procurement of custom components and assemblies needed for the instrumentation by collaborating with campus technical services, outside machine shops, and other vendors;
• Contribute to assembling, commissioning, and testing of equipment in collaboration with the project team at UBC;
• Generate design concepts and review the requirements of design concepts with the project team to downselect the most promising concepts;
• Maintain detailed records of all relevant experimental details;
• Contribute to project documentation with professional reports containing design details, drawings, and supporting information;

Duration: 1 year with possibility for extension.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry; and a minimum of 2 years of related experience in electrochemistry, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with wet chemistry;
• Strong grasp of surface electrochemistry;
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills; and
• Demonstrable ability to work toward milestones and manage deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with at least one programming language (e.g. python, MATLAB, C++ etc.);
• Familiarity with palladium membrane reactors;
• Familiarity analyzing data from analytical instruments or other types of sensors; and
• Familiarity with electrochemical modeling is a plus.

Location: Our laboratories are located at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. The proximity of the campus to downtown Vancouver, the pacific ocean, world renowned ski resorts, and Canada's premier wine region lends itself to numerous outdoor and social activities to balance the rigors of academic research.

This posting is for the campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number EU-56743 during correspondence about this position. Please visit the of the supervisor for this position to learn more about their research.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

About UBC
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver
UBC is home to over 900 postdocs spanning all faculties and units across two campuses and a variety of affiliated hospitals, research centres, and sites, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute in one's own way. UBC's is committed to supporting the lives and career aspirations of our Postdocs, with the goal of enriching their experience at UBC and preparing them for the future. In addition to providing support and advocacy for all postdocs, the PDFO is dedicated to providing that foster the development of soft skills needed in today's professional environments, helping them secure future careers in their chosen fields.

About UBC's Faculty of Science
brings together a community of scholars internationally recognized for its commitment to discovery and innovation-in the lab and in the classroom. Our faculty conduct top-tier research in the life, physical, earth and computational sciences, driving insights into sustainability, biodiversity, human health, nanoscience, new materials, probability, artificial intelligence, exoplanets and more. Ranked among the world's top 40 universities, UBC's research prowess in environmental science, math, physics, plant and animal science, computer science, geology, oceanography and biology is consistently rated best in Canada by international and national rankings.

About Vancouver
Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.

More Information

Web site for additional job details

Offer Requirements

REQUIRED LANGUAGES

ENGLISH: Excellent