Postdoc (Illinois): Sustainable Design, Deployment of Biorefineries

Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. Illinois is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the Illinois community. CABBI is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Jeremy Guest Research Group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We are seeking a qualified and motivated researcher to advance the sustainable design and deployment of biorefineries for the production of biofuels and bioproducts from novel feedstocks. The successful applicant will integrate process modeling with techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) under uncertainty to evaluate and prioritize research and development pathways for candidate products and processes in development by CABBI researchers and researchers from other DOE Bioenergy Research Centers. The postdoc will be in Dr. Guest’s research group, housed at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and will collaborate with a strong cohort of faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Crop Sciences, Plant Biology, ACES (Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences), and other disciplines across the Feedstock Production, Conversion, and Sustainability Themes of CABBI. The duties of the postdoc will focus on life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and (depending on their interests and expertise) modeling feedstock production or biorefinery operations (i.e., biological and thermochemical conversions, separations, and related processes). In addition to detailed sustainability evaluations of technologies and feedstocks under development by the CABBI and the DOE, a target outcome of the work is to continue to develop a suite of open-source, accessible computational tools for rapid and robust TEA and LCA of candidate feedstocks, bioproducts/biofuels, and processes (BioSTEAM Development Group; https://github.com/BioSTEAMDevelopmentGroup). Expertise in some of the following areas is desired: LCA, TEA, conversions, separations, or programming in Python. Required Qualifications: A Ph.D. in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, or other relevant field; Ability to work in a collaborative environment Strong candidates will also possess some of the following attributes: Experience with LCA and tools such as GREET or openLCA; Experience with process engineering and simulation; Experience with programming; Evidence of scientific impact of their Ph.D. (e.g., published papers). Postdoc applications will be reviewed as they are received until the positions are filled. Prospective postdocs should email the following materials to Prof. Jeremy Guest (jsguest@illinois.edu) with the subject line “CABBI Postdoc”: brief cover letter, curriculum vitae, names and contact information for three references, and up to two examples of scholarly output (e.g., published or submitted manuscripts). Preferred start date is as soon as possible, with the potential to start remotely. Positions are available for multiple years; however, annual renewal is dependent on funding, progress made by the individual, and career goals of the individual (mentoring plans will be tailored to meet the individual’s goals). All positions include a salary of $53,000-$55,000 per year and generous leave benefits. Eligible candidates will also receive a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, along with retirement benefits. For further information about the position, please contact Prof. Jeremy Guest, jsguest@illinois.edu. The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.