Position Details

Title
Postdoctoral Fellow - Zaleski Lab

Appointment Status
Non-Tenure Track

Department
IU Bloomington Chemistry

Location
Bloomington

Position Summary
The Department of Chemistry at IU is a well-rounded research community with cutting-edge expertise in a wide variety of modern disciplines including analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, and biochemistry.

The Zaleski Lab in the Department of Chemistry at Indiana University is accepting applications for a postdoctoral research position. The position involves the design and synthesis of hybrid molecular and nanomaterial catalysts (see here for recent work: ACS Appl. Bio. Mater.; Chem. Sci. 2025, 16, 255; ACS Catal. 2020, 10, 5, 3349–3359, Accts. Chem. Res. 2019, 52, 1957. The desired start date is July 1, 2026, although this is flexible in order to accommodate the needs of outstanding candidates.

The successful applicant will use a deep understanding of synthetic nanomaterial design to develop systems for bio- and chemical transformations/catalysis. Motivated applicants with a Ph.D. in any area of chemistry will be considered. A candidate with a strong background in catalyst synthesis and materials design is ideally suited for the project. We seek to employ someone with demonstrable experience in bio- or chemical catalyst design and materials characterization by standard techniques ( NMR, IR, Mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, TEM, and DFT calculations desirable).

The Zaleski Lab is a dynamic multidisciplinary laboratory environment. The successful applicant will play an integral role within our growing team and will emerge with a skill set that is equally relevant to academia and industry. Trainees receive regular guidance and feedback to ensure progress is made toward their career goals, whatever those may be. Trainees are also afforded the scheduling flexibility needed to maintain an appropriate work life balance and a safe laboratory environment.

Responsibilities:

1. Manage own academic research and administrative activities. This involves small scale project management and coordinating multiple aspects of work to meet deadlines.
2. Adapt existing, and develop new, scientific techniques and experimental protocols to achieve research objectives.
3. Use specialist scientific equipment in a laboratory environment.
4. Assist in setting up a new research laboratory at IU (e.g. setting up Schlenk lines, ordering equipment etc.)
5. Contribute ideas for new research projects.
6. Undertake comprehensive and systematic literature reviews and write up the results for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
7. Collaborate in the preparation of scientific reports and journal articles and occasionally present papers and posters.
8. Act as a source of information and advice to other members of the group on scientific protocols and experimental techniques.
9. Represent the research group at external meetings/seminars, either with other members of the group or alone.
10. Carry out collaborative projects with colleagues in partner institutions, and research groups.

Basic Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Chemistry.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with organometallic synthesis and relevant analytical techniques ( NMR, SXRD, mass-spectrometry etc.) is essential. The preferred candidate will have a deep understanding of the chemistry of the main group elements.

Department Contact for Questions
Questions can be directed to: Prof. Jeff Zaleski, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, zaleski@iu.edu.

Salary and Rank
$50,000/yr., Postdoctoral Fellow

Special Instructions
The initial appointment for this position will be for 12 months. Additional 12-month extension will be available based on performance. A competitive salary along with a benefits package will be offered.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, maximum 5-page research proposal and contact information for three references to http://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/33330. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt.