Postdoc position on advancing robotic platform for automated battery electrolyte discovery (a)

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Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa’s around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.Empa’s Laboratory Materials for Energy Conversion focuses on materials and device innovation for sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies.Your tasksYour main task is to advance our state-of-the-art automated electrolyte discovery platform. The platform allows the automated formulation of liquid electrolytes, the assembly of coin cell-type batteries, and their automated electrochemical characterization. Key tasks are statistical validation of the system (study of the distribution of key properties such as cell impedance, initial capacity, cycling stability, etc.), development of Python scripts for data analysis and functionalities of the coin cell assembly system such as electrode balancing, and evaluation of hardware add-ons for operations such as dosing of solid electrolyte components. An additional task is to provide support for other users of the platform.Besides the robotic platform, our labs are fully equipped for electrolyte development and testing. State-of-the-art facilities include synthesis labs with fume hoods, Schlenk lines, rotary evaporator, temperature-dependent viscosity, conductivity, and density analysis, thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), Raman and FTIR spectrometers, glove boxes, facilities to manually assemble various cell types including coin cells, Swagelok cells, and pouch cells, electrochemical characterization including battery cyclers, impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometers (including operando cells), etc. Access to NMR (including PFG-NMR), elemental analysis (CHN, ICP-OES, etc.), advanced electron microscopy facilities (SEM, TEM) and surface analytical tools (XPS, ToF-SIMS) is also available.Your profileWe are looking for a highly motivated team player ready to work independently in Empa’s vibrant international research environment. The ideal candidate possesses a PhD in materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering or related fields with an affinity to automation and programming/scripting. Prior experience in automation, Python programming, battery research, or electrochemistry is an advantage. We are encouraging female candidates to apply.Our offerYou will be embedded in a collaborative European research project that will enable you to interact with leading European organizations from industry and academia active in the battery field. Within this project, the ability to publish is not restricted. Generation of intellectual property in the form of patents is encouraged.The lab is located at Empa’s main campus in Dübendorf, which is conveniently located next to Zurich, Switzerland.«a» stands for «all» in our job advertisements. We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities. That’s what counts - not age, gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation, etc.We look forward to receiving your complete online application including a one-page letter of motivation, CV, publication list, diplomas with transcripts and two reference letters. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.