Postdoctoral Fellow - Materials Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Posting Title: Postdoctoral Fellow - Materials Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, Cockrell School of Engineering ---- Hiring Department: Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Status: Exempt ---- Earliest Start Date: Immediately ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027 ---- Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS ---- Job Details: General Notes As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the  Cockrell School of Engineering  at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders. At UT Austin, we say “What starts here changes the world.”  As a member of the university community, you will be part of an organization that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will have meaning and make a difference not only in the lives of our faculty, staff, and students, but also those who are impacted by our first class academic and research programs. UT Austin provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include: Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%) Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 7.75% employer matching funds Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b) Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities Tuition assistance Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card Position Purpose The Postdoctoral Fellow will lead research in high-throughput synthesis and discovery of advanced functional materials, with a preferred background in electrocatalysis or battery-related systems. This role supports TMI’s mission to accelerate materials innovation through data-driven approaches and autonomous experimentation. The Postdoctoral Fellow will contribute to the rapid exploration of novel materials chemistries—such as compositionally complex energy materials—using high-throughput, combinatorial synthesis strategies. The position involves working at the intersection of robotic synthesis, AI-guided materials discovery, and rapid characterization to enable efficient screening and optimization of functional materials. The Postdoctoral Fellow will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and help establish TMI as a leader in autonomous materials research and intelligent laboratory systems. Responsibilities Develop and optimize high-throughput and combinatorial synthesis workflows, including high-throughput solution synthesis, microdroplet printing and processing Design and execute automated synthesis experiments using robotic platforms or parallel reactors Collaborate with computational scientists to integrate machine-learning models for closed-loop materials discovery Collaborate with companion postdocs on functional materials characterization (XRD, SEM/TEM, Raman, spectroscopy, electrochemical analysis, etc.) Performs other related duties as assigned Required Qualifications Ph.D. in Materials Science, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a closely related field, conferred within three (3) years before the start date of the appointment. Demonstrated experience conducting independent research in a relevant area of materials science or engineering Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment Commitment to mentoring and contributing to the academic development of graduate and undergraduate students Preferred Qualifications Experience with materials synthesis, robotic platforms, liquid-handling automation, or programmable synthesis systems Familiarity with machine-learning tools, data analysis Background in energy materials, catalysis, and batteries Salary $61,093 Working Conditions May work around standard office conditions Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation Use of manual dexterity Required Materials Resume/CV Letter of interest 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submittin