Postdoc in Sustainable Materials, Electrochemical Systems

Job description

The Department of Applied Physics is seeking a researcher in sustainable materials engineering, electrochemical technologies, and environmental process innovation. The position is placed in an internationally recognized research environment focused on developing advanced materials and processes for water purification, resource recovery, renewable energy conversion, and sustainable chemical production.

You will conduct research on functional nanomaterials and electrochemical systems for applications including capacitive deionization, advanced oxidation processes, photocatalysis, photo-Fenton water treatment, green hydrogen generation, and sustainable ammonia synthesis. The research will involve understanding charge transport, interfacial phenomena, catalytic mechanisms, and structure-property-performance relationships in nanostructured materials.

The work includes the design and optimization of materials and reactors using advanced characterization methods, data-driven approaches and AI-assisted workflows. Emphasis will be placed on accelerating the discovery of next-generation materials and processes that contribute to the transition toward a circular and sustainable society.

The duties also include supervising students and other researchers, collaborating with academic and industrial partners in Sweden and internationally, actively pursuing external research funding, and contributing to the scientific development of the group and department. Teaching and pedagogical activities may form part of the employment.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree in Materials Science, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Nanotechnology, or related disciplines. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Documented research expertise in sustainable materials, electrochemical systems, environmental technologies, photocatalysis, or renewable energy conversion demonstrated through publications in leading international journals.
• Experience in developing advanced materials and nanostructures for water, energy, or environmental applications.
• Excellent command of English, spoken and written, as the work is conducted in an international research environment.
• As a person, you are creative, independent, and highly motivated, with excellent collaborative and interdisciplinary skills
• Great emphasis will be placed on scientific excellence, innovation potential, and the ability to translate sustainable technology to industrial applications.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline
• Demonstrated research experience in capacitive deionization, membrane-free desalination, water purification technologies, or resource recovery systems.
•  Experience with photocatalytic and photo-Fenton processes for environmental remediation and water treatment.      
• Research experience in electrocatalysis, green hydrogen production, carbon-neutral fuels, or sustainable ammonia synthesis.     
• Knowledge of charge-transfer mechanisms, interfacial electrochemistry, transport phenomena, and catalyst design.      
• Experience supervising doctoral students, master's students, or junior researchers.     
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to translate research outcomes into societal and industrial impact.      
• Experience in leadership, project coordination, innovation activities, and industrial collaboration.
• Awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues, with specific focus on gender equality

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Join us at KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in advancing the transition towards a sustainable society. At KTH, you have the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic environment, with good working conditions and attractive benefits. Equality, diversity and equal opportunities are essential to quality and form an integral part of KTH’s core values as a university and public authority.

Learn more about our benefits and what it's like to work and grow at KTH.

Trade union representatives

Contact information to trade union representatives.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system to apply for this position. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete according to the instructions in the ad.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• Brief account of why you want to conduct research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Maximally two pages long.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.