Research Scientist in the Center for Water Research - Dr. Nidal Hilal

Posted: 07-Apr-26

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Categories: Academic/Faculty

Internal Number: 169658

NYUAD Water Research Center at New York University Abu Dhabi, seeks to recruit a research scientist to work on the development of membrane desalination to treat water from the Arabian Gulf feed sources and on the design and scale-up of low energy membranes for water purification, 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 functional membrane materials, including nanostructured polymer membranes tailored to microfiltration, ultrafiltration, membrane distillation, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. The candidate will employ advanced membrane fabrication techniques and characterization tools (SEM, TEM, DSC, TGA, BET, etc.) to establish fabrication-structure-property-performance relationships in novel materials for sustainable desalination and water treatment. 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 projects and work closely with postdoctoral researchers, build deep technical knowledge and develop transferable solutions. He/she will participate in developing novel concepts and writing proposals. He/she will work towards solving complex problems with efficiency and creativity. He/she will be involved in writing reports, authoring publications, drafting patents and presenting results at conferences. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated knowledge of materials science and engineering, membrane fabrication techniques, membrane characterization tools and separation processes. He/she will be detail-oriented, 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 hold a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, and have at least six years of experience in the field, along with extensive research and publication in well-known journals and conference papers or similar research accomplishments. Excellent experimental and analytical skills relevant to the project (in particular membrane fabrication and characterization) are required. Candidates with demonstrated history of peer reviewed publications in a related area, along with prior expertise in materials science and analytical chemistry will be preferred.

This position is 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, transcript or degree, and at least 2 contact references, all in PDF format. If you have any questions, please email: nhh2@nyu.edu.