Associate Research Scientist in the Division of Engineering (General Engineering) - Dr. Nidal Hilal

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity?s shared challenges. Drawing on the strengths of the NYU global network, it offers an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and around the world, with a distinctive focus on intercultural understanding and leadership. It supports innovative research and graduate education programs that push forward the frontiers of knowledge and respond in powerful and interdisciplinary ways to vital global and local challenges.

The Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, seeks to recruit Associate Research Scientist to work on advanced sustainable functionalized membranes for desalination and water treatment, under the supervision of Professor Nidal Hilal, Director of the Water Research Center and Global Professor of Engineering.

The successful applicant will drive an exciting project on developing functionalized membrane materials to tailor sustainable antifouling hybrid ultrafiltration membranes and antibacterial nanofiltration or reverse osmosis membranes for desalination and water purification. The candidate will explore advanced membrane fabrication techniques and characterization tools (SEM, AFM, Raman, TEM, DSC, XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET, etc.) to correlate fabrication-structure-property-performance of novel nanomaterials with sustainable membranes for desalination and water purification via separation processes. The candidate will work in a multidisciplinary environment consisting of PhD-level scientists and engineers, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

The successful applicant will manage the project and work closely with post-doctoral researchers, establish deep technical knowledge, and develop transferable skills. He/she will actively be involved in developing novel concepts and writing research proposals. He/she will work on solving complex problems with efficiency and creativity. He/she will be involved in writing progress reports, authoring peer-reviewed publications, drafting patents, and presenting results at national and international conferences. The successful candidate will have to demonstrate his expertise in assessing antibacterial and antibiofouling properties of nanomaterials, membrane fabrications, sewage water treatment, life cycle assessment, and separation processes. He/she will be detail-oriented and well-organized and will possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate should be able to work independently and as part of a team.

Applicants must have a PhD in materials science and engineering, environmental chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field, along with at least 5 years of relevant post-PhD research experience. Analytical characterization skills and excellent experimental expertise relevant to assessing the antibacterial and antibiofouling properties of diversified sustainable membranes are required. Candidates with a history of peer-reviewed publications in a related research area and prior expertise in materials science, environmental chemistry, and water treatment will be preferred.

This position will begin in September 2026 as a two-year contract, renewable depending on performance. The terms of employment are very competitive and include housing and educational subsidies for children. Applications will be accepted immediately, and candidates will be considered until the position is filled. To be considered, all applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a one-page summary of research accomplishments and interests, and at least 2 references, all in PDF format.

If you have any questions, please email: nhh2@nyu.edu.