Postdoctoral Research Associate

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This Post Doctoral Research Associate position is an essential staff role within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, critical for advancing funded research initiatives, including a Congressionally Directed Funding award through NIST. The position plays a central role in sustaining the department’s research mission by developing and applying advanced analytical and experimental approaches to address complex interdisciplinary environmental and infrastructure challenges relevant to NH. The postdoc’s work directly supports high-impact research outcomes, student mentoring, and the department’s broader commitment to integrating research and education.

The position requires a high level of independent research skill, technical expertise, and the ability to use high resolution analytical equipment to meet project objectives. The postdoctoral researcher is required to maintain research continuity and meet project milestones, even during periods of departmental curtailment, ensuring timely completion of federally funded research, reporting obligations, and contributions to the department’s research profile.

Duties/Responsibilities

Research and Data Analysis – 60%

• Conduct high-level research supporting the NIST CDF project and other funded research projects. Responsibilities include developing and implementing sample preparation methods, analytical analysis, experiments, analyzing chemical datasets, and synthesizing results to advance project objectives. Work will directly contribute to publications, project reports, and the generation of new knowledge in environmental engineering.

Manuscript Preparation and Grant Reporting – 15%

• Assist in preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and progress reports required by funding agencies. Ensure that all research outputs meet high standards of accuracy, clarity, and compliance with federal reporting requirements.

Student Mentorship and Collaboration – 15%

• Provide guidance and mentoring to staff, graduate and undergraduate students participating in related research. Facilitate collaborative research efforts within the department, supporting a research environment that integrates student training with project deliverables.

Project Management and Communication – 10%

• Coordinate research activities, track progress toward project milestones, and maintain documentation of experiments and analyses. Participate in project meetings and collaborations, communicating findings effectively to the project team, students, external collaborators, and funding agencies.

Requirements

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:

• A Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related field is required.

• Demonstrated experience in environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, PFAS analysis and sample analysis through instrumentation (LC-MS/MS or CIC) is expected.

• A strong record of science communication through publications or other outreach activities, is preferred.

• Candidates must have sufficient expertise to perform advanced research independently with minimal training, in alignment with NIST-funded project objectives.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of environmental chemistry and analytical methods with a focus on organics

• Strong analytical instrumentation skills with knowledge on emerging contaminant analysis (PFAS/PPCPs) in environmental systems.

• Proficiency in sample collection and sample preparation including solid phase extraction.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills to effectively convey research findings to diverse audiences, including students, faculty, regulators, municipalities, and funding agencies.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment, managing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines.

• Strong mentoring and interpersonal skills to guide and support graduate and undergraduate students in research projects.

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to adapt research approaches and address complex scientific questions.

• Familiarity with federal grant reporting requirements and research compliance standards is preferred.

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location:

Durham

Salary Grade:

Faculty 01