Assistant Scientist

earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

South Carolina Retirement: No

State Insurance Programs: Yes

Annual Leave: No

Sick Leave: Yes

Advertised Job Summary

The Assistant Scientist in the Department of Chemical Engineering will be creating battery materials, testing battery cells, writing reports, writing proposals and managing project resources/budgeting.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Requires a terminal degree (PhD or similar) in an area of research specialty and one year of post-graduate job-related experience.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Communicate clearly and effectively in English.
• Electrochemical data collection and analysis.
• Proposal writing.
• Publication writing
• Budgeting.

Job Duty

Materials Synthesis and Characterization: Synthesize and process battery materials by applying chemical, thermal, and mechanical treatments to precursor compounds, converting raw materials into functional powders for electrode fabrication and cell assembly. Prepare and integrate materials into battery electrodes and utilize advanced analytical instrumentation to characterize chemical composition, structure, and material properties, supporting research objectives and the development of energy storage technologies.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 25

Job Duty

Cell Assembly and Performance Testing: Assemble and integrate synthesized materials into functioning electrochemical cells for battery research and development. Operate cell testing systems and experimental fixtures to evaluate battery performance under simulated real-world operating conditions using a variety of electrochemical testing methods. Collect, analyze, and interpret performance data to assess cell efficiency, capacity, durability, and overall functionality, supporting the advancement and optimization of energy storage technologies.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 25

Job Duty

Data Analysis and Reporting: Analyze and interpret materials characterization and electrochemical testing data to develop an understanding of material behavior, performance, and underlying mechanisms. Prepare and coordinate technical reports, sponsor deliverables, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications that communicate research findings and project outcomes. Collaborate with multidisciplinary research teams to integrate technical contributions from multiple investigators into cohesive deliverables. Review and provide feedback on scientific manuscripts, reports, presentations, and other research communications to ensure technical accuracy, quality, and consistency with project objectives.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 25

Job Duty

Proposal writing: Contribute to the development of new research concepts and strategic initiatives by leveraging findings and insights generated through sponsored research activities. Identify emerging research opportunities and assist in the preparation, writing, and submission of competitive grant proposals to industry, federal, and other funding sponsors. Support the expansion of externally funded research programs by developing technical content, collaborating with project teams, and translating research outcomes into future funding opportunities.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 20

Job Duty

Project Budget Monitoring: Monitor project expenditures and budget performance to ensure spending remains within approved funding levels and aligns with project timelines. Track and reconcile costs related to personnel, fringe benefits, equipment, materials, and supplies, and provide financial reporting and projections to support effective grant management.

Essential Function: Yes

Percentage of Time: 5

Hazardous weather category: Non-Essential

Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.: No

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: 11/01/2026

Position End Date: 10/30/2027

Job Open Date: 10/02/2026

Job Close Date: 10/12/2026

Open Until Filled: No

Special Instructions to Applicant

Applicants must upload a copy of their C.V/resume’ and provide detailed work history in the employment history section of the application.

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

We are only accepting applications submitted by October 12, 2026.

Quicklink for Posting: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/214102

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.

Organization

Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.