Organometallic Research Chemist

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All applicants must be professing Christians and willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of Abilene Christian University while employed by the university.

• Organometallic Synthesis
• Molten Salt Research
• Chemical Separations and Purification
• Safety Compliance and Environmental Monitoring
• Research Development and Technical Support
• Documentation Reporting and Collaboration

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Organometallic Synthesis

• Develop various organic and metal-organic molecular/supramolecular systems and nanostructured materials.
• Characterize synthesized materials using XRD DSC FTIR Raman etc.
• Determine compatibility of synthesized materials with molten salts.

Molten Salt Research

• Design and execute experiments to determine the effectiveness of materials for extraction of species from molten salts.
• Design material forms that are compatible with insertion and removal from a molten salt reactor.
• Demonstrate the effectiveness of materials for the extraction of species from a molten salt reactor.

Chemical Separations and Purification

• Design and execute experiments to determine the ability to remove species from extraction materials.
• Implement processes to separate and purify fission products after removal from a molten salt reactor.
• Optimize separation and purification procedures to maximize product yield.

Safety Compliance and Environmental Monitoring

• Ensure compliance with nuclear regulatory requirements and university safety protocols.
• Support radiation licensing and hazardous chemical safety including beryllium exposure control.
• Participate in environmental monitoring and waste management related to chemical processes.

Research Development and Technical Support

• Contribute to ongoing R&D projects supporting a molten salt research reactors scientific surveillance layer (SSL).
• Provide chemical expertise to reactor operations simulation teams and cross-disciplinary projects.
• Mentor students and junior staff in chemical techniques and laboratory practices.

Documentation Reporting and Collaboration

• Maintain accurate laboratory records sample logs and analysis reports.
• Support preparation of technical publications safety analysis reports grant proposals and regulatory submissions.
• Collaborate across disciplines (nuclear engineering physics materials science) to advance NEXT Labs mission.

Skills

• Strong foundation in synthetic organometallic chemistry.
• Experience with reticular chemistry.
• Knowledge of crystallography.
• Proficiency with laboratory instrumentation (XRD DSC FTIR Raman etc.).
• Knowledge of molten salt chemistry and solid-phase extraction.
• Understanding of nuclear safety radiation chemistry and hazardous materials management.
• Strong problem-solving and data analysis abilities.

Training Modules Required

• Radiation safety and licensing training.
• Chemical hygiene and laboratory safety.
• Hazardous materials handling including anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and beryllium control protocols.
• Emergency response and spill prevention training.
• Advanced modules on molten salt chemistry and SSL integration.

Professional

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Chemistry Chemical Engineering Materials Science or related field (Ph.D. preferred). To be eligible for a dual faculty appointment a masters or doctoral degree will be required.
• A successful record of grant-proposal writing is preferred.
• 35 years of laboratory experience (academic industrial or national lab).
• Experience with molten salts separation science or high-temperature chemistry strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated record of technical reporting and collaborative research.

Personal

• Detail-oriented and committed to safety.
• Strong communicator with ability to explain complex chemistry to non-chemists.
• Collaborative adaptable and able to work across disciplines.
• Self-motivated with curiosity for applied nuclear research.
• Passionate about advancing NEXT Labs mission in innovative nuclear energy.

NEXT Lab Core Values
The key principle of this job is to support ACUs mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. Along with this and the NEXT mission our core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that shape our culture behavior and decisions.

1. Christ-like Character
   We lead with humility integrity and wisdom. We strive to be honest mentors who reflect Christ in our actions and relationships.
2. Driven to Deliver
   We take initiative work hard and stay curious. Were proactive creative problem-solvers who are always learning and pushing forward to get things done.
3. Better Together
   We believe in the power of collaboration. We communicate openly support one another and bring a spirit of respect fun and teamwork to everything we do.

An ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong desire to integrate into a team that shares our core values and possess the skills listed below. Candidates who align well with our values but may not yet have all of the desired skills may still be considered.

• Able to lift 50 pounds on a regular basis.
• Able to stand 1 hour or more.

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race color age sex disability genetic information national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the universitys financial and physical assets. Therefore Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions.