Chemistry Specialist

Job Description

The Department of Mining & Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech seeks a qualified highly motivated individual for a unique research position in chemical separations of rare earth elements. The successful candidate will work closely with faculty staff graduate students undergraduate students and outside collaborators and is expected to play an active role in the research conducted in Dr. Aaron Nobles group which focuses on critical material recovery from unconventional sources.

The Chemical Specialist will be responsible for developing and performing rare earth separation tests utilizing standard procedures and methods. The successful candidate will maintain a detailed experimental notebook and perform quality assurance and quality control testing to verify the suitability of various procedures. The Chemical Specialist will develop standard operating procedures for new testing protocols and train new users as needed. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to co-author products that emerge from these efforts including sponsor reports and peer reviewed manuscripts.

Required Qualifications

BS in chemistry or a related field.
Demonstrated experience working in a chemical or mineral processing testing laboratory.
Demonstrated organizational communication and collaborative research skills.
Experience working independently with little direct supervision.
A demonstrated commitment to safe work practices in the laboratory.
Ability to obtain and maintain work approval from the research sponsor.

Preferred Qualifications

Previous research/university experience.
Prior experience with hydrometallurgical processes including leaching liquid-liquid extraction adsorption and/or related methods.
Prior experience in rare earth element or critical mineral processing.
Prior experience with mineral digestions including strong acid digestions fusions and/or microwave-assisted digestions.

Pay Band

3

Overtime Status

Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

Commensurate with experience up to budget maximum.

Hours per week

40

Review Date

Jan 19 2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check. The candidate must also be eligible to work on federally sponsored project.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its mottoUt Prosim(That I May Serve) Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world Virginia Tech is aninclusive communitydedicated to knowledge discovery and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36000 undergraduate graduate and professional students in eightundergraduate colleges aschool of medicine aveterinary medicinecollegeGraduate School andHonors College.The university has a significant presence across Virginia including Blacksburg the greater Washington D.C. area the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke sites in Newport News and Richmond and numerousExtension officesandresearch institutes.A leading global research institution Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.