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Postdoctoral Appointee: Separations

Argonne National Laboratory · Lemont, IL · $72,879–$121,465 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a system you helped build and run. What did you learn about the gap between plan and reality?

What they are checking: Whether they have hands-on experience constructing and operating experimental systems.

Tell me about a time you worked with an industry partner. How did their goals differ from yours?

What they are checking: Whether they can work with industry and academic partners at MERF.

How do you decide when to work independently and when to bring in teammates?

What they are checking: Whether they balance independence with teamwork, as the posting asks.

What would you do

Your heating step improves recovery but also changes the impurity profile. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can reason about selectivity tradeoffs across the whole process.

What would make you confident a process is ready to move beyond bench scale?

What they are checking: Whether they think about reproducibility, scalability and economics before scaling up.

About the work

How would selective heating, like microwave or induction heating, help a hydrometallurgical process recover critical materials?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how heating technologies can be integrated with leaching, the core of this project.

How would you design a bench-scale continuous system that combines selective heating with slurry processing?

What they are checking: Whether they can think through flow, heat transfer and control in a combined system.

How would you use XRD, SEM, FTIR and Raman to understand what happened to a material during processing?

What they are checking: Whether they can choose and combine the analytical tools the posting lists.

How would you study transport and reaction behavior inside a slurry?

What they are checking: Whether they can design experiments that explain why a process works, not just whether it does.

What safety issues come with combining heating systems and chemical slurries?

What they are checking: Whether they anticipate hazards like pressure buildup, hot spots and corrosive fumes.

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The full job description

As published by Argonne National Laboratory.

Argonne National Laboratory in the Applied Materials Division (AMD) is seeking a Postdoctoral candidate to support development of advanced processes for critical materials recovery from unconventional sources. The successful candidate will work on a project focused on integrating selective heating with continuous hydrometallurgical processing, for recovery of critical materials relevant to energy innovation. The postdoctoral researcher will design and conduct experiments, develop slurry-based processing methodologies, support construction and operation of bench-scale systems, analyze transport and reaction behavior, and contribute to reports, publications, and future proposals. This position offers the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team at the Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF), in collaboration with Argonne researchers and external partners from industry and academia. Position Requirements • Recent or soon-to-be-completed PhD (typically completed within the last 0-5 years) in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science or related field. • Knowledge and hands-on experience in the following areas: hydrometallurgical chemistry, critical materials recovery, separations science, heating technologies. • Experience with analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction, SEM/TEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. • Ability to conduct both independent and collaborative research in a multidisciplinary environment • Ability to communicate effectively and on a timely basis with the laboratory supervisory personnel on all developments or matters resulting from laboratory work activities. • Ability to maintain organized notebooks and project files. • Proven ability to be an excellent team player. • A high commitment to safety. • Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork. • This position requires an on-site presence at the Argonne campus in Lemont, Illinois, five days per week. Job Family Postdoctoral Job Profile Postdoctoral Appointee Worker Type Long-Term (Fixed Term) Time Type Full time The expected hiring range for this position is $72,879.00-$121,465.00. Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package. Click here to view Argonne employee benefits! As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department. All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

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