Posting Title
Postdoctoral Researcher – Cell-free biocatalysis

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Location
CO - Golden

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Position Type
Postdoc (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week
40

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Working at NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our eight employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

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Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

Job Description

The Biosciences Center at NREL has an opening for a full time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Molecular Biology and Biophysics Group. The successful candidate will work in the DOE-funded Cell Free and Immobilization Technology (CFIT) project on the assembly of multi-enzyme biocatalysis pathways primarily for the synthesis of sustainable aviation fuel precursor molecules from renewable feedstocks. This position is suited to someone with knowledge of enzymatic biosynthesis in vitro , ideally with experience assembling multi-enzyme pathways. Required skills will include cloning and protein expression and purification, with assay development (especially high throughput) forming a critical component. Additional skills and knowledge that will be valuable for this position include enzyme structure, function, and engineering, biophysical characterization techniques, and bioinformatics methods.

The successful candidate will be able to work independently but is expected to work well in a large collaborative team with researchers from NREL, academia, other national labs, and industry partners.

The successful candidate will be able to:

• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
• Plan and execute research in collaboration with other researchers
• Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats
• Author peer-reviewed publications
• Work effectively in a large, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team of scientists and engineers.

 

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Basic Qualifications
Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years in Biochemistry, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Biophysics, Computational Biology, or a closely related field
• Cloning, expression, and purification of proteins
• Demonstrated experience performing cell-free enzymatic biosynthesis.
• Demonstrated experience in Enzyme kinetics including assay development.
• Knowledge of protein structure/function
• Demonstrated experience in enzyme engineering.
• Knowledge of biophysical techniques
• Bioinformatics competencies
• Takes initiative to set direction and goals for assigned tasks.
• Ability to deliver high-quality results within aggressive timelines
• Strong record of quality peer-reviewed publications
• Strong safety record

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience assembling multi (3+) enzymatic pathways in vitro.
• Analytical skills (HPLC, GC-FID, GC-MS, and/or LC-MS).
• Knowledge of structural biology
• Advanced experimental enzymology (ITC, EPR, Kinetics, Stopped-flow).

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Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $71,300 - $117,600

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary
Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

* Based on eligibility rules

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NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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EEO Policy

NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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