PhD Chemicals of Environmental Concern

ORAU is hiring a full-time PhD Scientist for Chemicals of Environmental Concern at the EPA facility in Cincinnati, OH. The role involves providing research laboratory support, particularly in the treatment and analysis of environmental contaminants like PFAS. Candidates should have experience with analytical chemistry techniques and strong communication skills. The position is expected to start in February 2025, and travel is not required.
Overview

The EPA National Student Services Contract has an immediate opening for a full time Chemicals of Environmental Concern PhD Scientist position with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Cincinnati, OH.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

What the EPA project is about

The Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER) conducts applied stakeholder-driven research and provides responsive technical support to help solve the Nation's environmental challenges. Within CESER, the Land Remediation and Technology Division (LRTD) focuses on issues related to contaminated soils, sediments, and related environmental media to better understand the fate and transport of those contaminants in the environment, and to develop new and innovative treatment technologies.

Responsibilities

As a team member, you will provide research laboratory support in the treatment and analysis of chemicals of environmental concern (CEC), including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC), and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). The team member will provide support for the implementation of several technologies to regenerate spent media used to treat PFAS contamination.

Research Laboratory Treatment and Analytical Chemistry responsibilities will include:
• Design and execution of adsorption and regeneration experiments;
• Operation of Liquid Chromatography \Mass Spectrometry (LC\MS) and Gas Chromatography\Mass Spectrometry (GC\MS) instrumentation;
• Extraction of environmental samples for CEC using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE), Liquid\Liquid exraction (LLE) and Liquid\Solid extraction (LSE) techniques; and
• Manage analytical chemistry data using Excel, Access, and a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Communications-related responsibilities will include:
• Participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary research team and
• Interact with other members of the development team as well as EPA scientists.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education
• Demonstrated education and/or experience in quantitative analytical chemistry using Liquid Chromatography \Mass Spectrometry (LC\MS) and/or Gas Chromatography\Mass Spectrometry (GC\MS) instrumentation;
• Experience designing and executing water treatment studies including sorption and regeneration experiments;
• Experience with extraction of environmental samples for CEC using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE), Liquid\Liquid extraction (LLE) and Liquid\Solid extraction (LSE) techniques; and
• Strong written, oral, and electronic communication skills using Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Location:This job will be located EPA's facility in Cincinnati, OH.

Salary: Selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $46.32 for hours worked.

Hours: Full-time.

Travel: Travel is not required.

Expected start date: The position is full time and expected to begin February 2025. The selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU working as a contractor to EPA.

Qualifications
• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a Ph.D. degree in the fields of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Sciences, or related fields from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.