The Catalysis Engineering group focuses on developing sustainable chemical processes by combining chemical engineering, chemistry and materials science. We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral candidate to work in a project funded by a company.

Join us!
The Catalysis Engineering group is looking for a postdoc for employing in a new EU project on the production of sustainable fuels using CO2 as a feedstock. The project involves multiple partners from different countries and hence a collaborative work is important to reach the objective of this project. The candidate joining the project is expected to have experience in chemical engineering/applied chemistry with specialisation in catalysis. Experience in operating high temperature, high pressure reactors is highly desirable.

What are you going to do
As part of this project, you will research on the feasibility of producing sustainable fuels from CO2. You will synthesise catalysts, characterize them and will test them in appropriate reactors available in the group. Although project involves a combination of multiple technologies, the liquefaction of biomass would be a particularly desired direction of research. You should also be willing to maintain and troubleshoot the equipment as much as possible. Since the project is coordinated by the group, the person is also expected to contribute to the coordination of the project.

You will/tasks:

• Conduct experiments in the lab for producing fuels from biomass and/or CO2, analysis of the products, studying the mechanism of the reactions etc;
• Operate batch or flow reactors as and when needed;
• Modification and troubleshooting of the reactor as and when necessary;
• Understand the process and implement new ideas;
• Maintain good practices for the data recording, management, analysis and presentation;
• Reporting the progress and the results to the group leader and the consortium, dissemination of the results in peer-reviewed journals and conferences as when necessary;
• Supervising the students and teaching duties as stipulated by the institute;
• Travel to the labs of collaborators if needed;
• Contribute to the project coordination;
• Collaborate with other group members when necessary.

What do you have to offer

• A recent PhD degree in chemical engineering, applied chemistry or related field, with experience in catalysis;
• Practical experience in operating catalytic reactors;
• Experience in analytical techniques;
• Willingness to approach the problem creatively and critically;
• Ability to work independently and to plan tasks effectively to meet deadlines;
• Willingness to supervise student projects including PhD and Masters.

Your experience and profile:

• Good communication skills in oral and written English;
• Takes initiative and has good time management skills;
• Interest in collaborating with other group members and also externally;
• Interest in sustainability, passion for research and motivation to help the society through your research.

What we can offer you
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week, preferably starting as soon as possible, but latest on February 28th, 2025, for the duration of 12 months, which can be extendable depending on the performance and project progress. A probation period of two months will be applicable.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between €3,378 - € 5,331 (scale 10). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher 4 is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

What else do we offer?
Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch.

Where will you work
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) is one of eight institutes of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) Faculty of Science. HIMS performs internationally recognized chemistry and molecular research, curiosity driven as well as application driven. This is done in close cooperation with the chemical, flavor & food, medical and high-tech industries. Research is organized into four themes: Analytical Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Synthesis & Catalysis and Molecular Photonics.

The Synthesis & Catalysis encompasses organic synthesis and all aspects of catalysis, including homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, biocatalysis, organocatalysis, and catalysis engineering. Projects range from fundamental to applied research, with strong valorization aspects. The Synthesis & Catalysis represents these research groups:

• The Biocatalysis Group is part of the UvA Research Priority area in “Sustainable Chemistry” and carries out cutting-edge research at the interphase between the chemical and the biological sciences.
• The Catalysis Engineering Group focus to develop sustainable chemical processes. We combine knowledge from the fields of Materials Science and Chemical Science with expertise in the field of Reactor Engineering. The group is developing processes for chemical recycling of plastics, CCUS, sustainable fuels and water treatment etc.
• The Flow Chemistry Group’s mission is to expand the available chemical space by embracing technology to the fullest extent. The aim of the Flow Chemistry group (a.k.a. the Noël Research Group) is to build bridges between chemical engineering and organic synthetic chemistry. Consequently, long-standing problems in synthetic chemistry can be overcome, which includes scalability, gas-liquid reactions, photochemistry, electrochemistry and the generation and use of hazardous reagents. This allows us to effectively expand the available chemical space by bringing overlooked or avoided reagents into play.
• The Functional Materials Group focuses on developing fundamental knowledge and materials that enable low-energy routes for the synthesis of chemicals, efficient molecular separations and selective chemical sensing.
• The Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group’s mission is to discover new catalysts and materials for sustainable chemistry and energy applications.
• The Homogeneous, Supramolecular and Bio-Inspired Catalysis Group main research objective is the development of novel catalytic processes driven by our knowledge of the relationship between structure and performance of the catalyst. Research projects span from fundamental to applied catalysis, the latter in collaboration with industry and via spin-off companies.
• The Industrial Sustainable Chemistry Group focuses on the transition to a circular economy and more specifically the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based economy, connecting sustainable development and production of energy and chemicals. The group’s focus is on future polymers with bulk volume potential. We are active in projects involving biorefinery technology (industrial sugars), and monomers from biomass and from CO2 (the only two alternatives for fossil feedstock when making polymers).
• The Synthetic Organic Chemistry Group aims at the development of new synthetic methodologies and the (enantioselective) synthesis of biologically active molecules, using methodologies developed in our own group or in other groups. In several research projects they cooperate with national and international chemical and pharmaceutical companies, sharing their expertise.

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Dr. N.R. (Shiju Raveendran) Shiju, Associate Professor- catalysis engineering.
• Tel: +31 (0)20 525 6515

Do you recognise yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 28 February, 2025 at latest. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications in .pdf should include:

• a curriculum vitae including the list of publications (please put in the months and not just years when referring to your education and work experience)
• a short overview (max 2 pages A4) of specific past research contributions
• a letter of motivation (max 2 pages A4)
• minimum one reference (email, phone number) including the direct supervisor in the previous academic position

We will recruit until the position is filled and close the position when a suitable candidate is found.