The new group will capitalize on DIFFER’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, including high-end materials synthesis facilities such as the VSParticle Nanoparticle Printer (VSP) and Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), as well as comprehensive material characterization tools (XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF, XPS, etc.), to accelerate the discovery and optimization of materials for sustainable energy applications, essentially including electro-, thermo-, or plasma-driven energy carrier conversion.
The successful candidate will establish an internationally recognized research group dedicated to automated materials synthesis and characterization for sustainable energy. You will develop and lead a high-impact experimental program that exploits and expands DIFFER’s research facilities for rapid material fabrication and analysis. The Group Leader is expected to collaborate with colleagues to ensure that insights from data-driven techniques and lab automation are successfully implemented in optimization of experimental workflows for materials synthesis and characterization. These collaborative efforts will increase DIFFER’s capability to discover advanced materials for energy, aligning with our institute’s strategy.
We seek an exceptional experimental scientist with deep expertise in the synthesis, processing, and characterization of energy materials. The ideal candidate has a strong background in areas such as heterogeneous catalysis, nanomaterials, thin films, or other advanced materials, with extensive experience in high-throughput or combinatorial experimentation and advanced materials characterization techniques.
Responsibilities: - Lead an innovative research program in automated materials synthesis and characterization, developing new methodologies to rapidly create and evaluate materials for energy applications.
- Exploit and further develop DIFFER's materials synthesis platforms (VSP and PLD) to enable high-throughput screening and optimization of catalysts, electrodes, and other energy materials.
- Use advanced characterization methodologies (XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF, XPS, etc.) and contribute to the design of new characterization workflows to achieve a comprehensive understanding of material structure–performance relationships.
- Apply insights from AI-driven discovery strategies developed by colleagues to design experiments and enhance the efficiency of the materials discovery process.
- Collaborate closely with lab automation scientists and engineers to integrate experimental results from synthesis and characterization techniques with real-time data analysis and adaptive planning, all within the self-driving lab framework.
- Secure external research funding through competitive grants and industrial partnerships to expand the capabilities and impact of the group’s research.
- Supervise PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and engineers, promoting scientific excellence and career development.
- Disseminate research findings through publications, presentations, and stakeholder engagement activities.
We seek an exceptional experimental scientist with deep expertise in the synthesis, processing, and characterization of energy materials. The ideal candidate has a strong background in areas such as heterogeneous catalysis, nanomaterials, thin films, or other advanced materials, with extensive experience in high-throughput or combinatorial experimentation and advanced materials characterization techniques.