Postdoctoral Fellow, Electrocatalysis for Electrochemical Energy Devices

The NRC Advantage

Great Minds. One Goal. Canada's Success.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development. We collaborate with over 70 colleges, universities and hospitals annually, work with 800 companies on their projects, and provide advice or funding to over 8000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) each year.

We bring together the brightest minds to deliver tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians and people around the world. And now, we want to partner with you.  Let your expertise and inspirations make an impact by joining the NRC.

At NRC, we know diversity enables excellence in research and innovation. We are committed to a diverse and representative workforce, an open and inclusive work environment, and contributing to a more inclusive Canadian innovation system. 

NRC welcomes all qualified applicants and encourages candidates to self-declare as members of the following designated employment equity groups: women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Please advise of any accommodation measures required to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. They are available to all candidates for further assessment. Related information received will be addressed confidentially.

Project Title

Electrocatalysis and Electrode technologies for Electrochemical Energy Devices

The Program

The NRC’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program offers PDFs access to unique world-class facilities and the opportunity to work alongside multi-disciplinary teams of expert researchers and technicians on projects of critical importance to Canada. PDFs will carry out research on innovative research projects, with opportunities for career development (publications and/or industry interaction).

PDFs will be offered appointments to the staff of the National Research Council on a term basis and will be offered salaries and benefits currently available to Research Officers. Salaries commensurate with experience are taxable and subject to other deductions. As a guide, the current annual PDF recruiting rate is $73,133. In addition PDFs will be allocated a travel fund to support their work.

Your Challenge

Several electrochemical conversion technologies could solve the CO2 induced climate warming by sustainably producing hydrogen or by converting atmospheric CO2 back into a fuel, essentially recycling it. Highly active catalysts, placed on activity bolstering materials, and permeable electrodes, are key to technologies’ economic viability. However, preserving the accessibility and activity of the catalysts inside the electrode are major materials development and electrode design challenges.

This work will address the materials and design gaps simultaneously. The proposed process will produce highly efficient single-atom catalysts (SACs) in a free-standing scalable electrode design, with continuous porous structure and high utilization. Being scalable, it can be expanded to a range of other electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications.

This work will build on unique NRC EME infrastructure and know-how to combine the catalyst synthesis, support production, and electrode fabrication into a new, continuous, cost-effective manufacturing process, which preserves the control over the electrode’s chemistry, catalyst loading, porosity and thickness.

Education

Ph.D. in electrochemistry, materials science & engineering, chemical engineering or chemistry

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

Experience

• Expert knowledge in electrocatalysis and electrode technologies;
• Experience with electrochemical energy storage and conversion materials and devices are required;
• Assets: Experience specifically with single-atom catalysts for CO2 electroreduction, PEM fuel cell oxygen reduction and related electrode fabrication technologies are preferred.

Language requirements

English

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Condition of Employment

Reliability Status

Who is eligible?

• Fellowships will be for two years contingent on satisfactory progress achieved during the first year.
• Candidates should have obtained a PhD (or equivalent) within the past three years (PhD received on or after July 1, 2018) or expect to complete their PhD within 6 months of appointment.
• Fellows will work in a lab under the direct supervision of an NRC researcher.

Application Requirements

In order to be considered for the program please include the following in your application, please note that you will need to attach the required documents as per the list below when submitting your application. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from searches.

• Resume
• Statement of Interest in the project (maximum one page in length)
• PhD Transcript - an electronic copy is sufficient, it does not have to be an official version.
• List of Publications

When submitting your application you can include the required documents in any attachment field such as «Second language evaluation results» or «Other attachments»

In addition, applicants who best meet the requirements of the position will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation at a later stage of the competition process.

Relocation

Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC's directives.

Salary Range

The intent of this hiring action is to staff through the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program at the RCO-2/AsRO level, which is an early-career level position with a salary range of $73,133 to $101,569.  
 

NOTE: Salary determination will be based on a review of the candidate’s expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level.   As a guide, the current annual PhD recruiting rate is $73,133.

Notes

• NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of benefits including comprehensive health and dental plans, pension and insurance plans, vacation and other leave entitlements.
• Fellowships are open to nationals of all countries, although preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.