Research Associate (Postdoc, PhD) Reference no.: HI 2024/14 (until 31.01.2025)

Achieving climate neutrality within the next 20 years will require a surge in innovation for the development of highly efficient, scalable, cost-effective and sustainably produced energy technologies. Polymeric materials play a central role in this process. HIPOLE Jena integrates and extends world-class expertise in polymer chemistry, materials science, high-throughput experimentation and artificial intelligence with complementary expertise in inorganic/hybrid materials, scalable devices and advanced characterisation.

We are now looking for three research associate/PhD students and one post-doc for our site in Jena, Germany. You will have the chance to support the newly founded institute with your ideas and expertise from the very beginning and will collaborate with researchers from all over the world to contribute to the development of a climate-friendly future. The research focus should be on the topic of sustainable polymer research with a focus on polymers for energy applications, working on the following thematic area:

• Polymer membranes for electrochemical energy storage and converters

The positions are located in the department of Professor Dr. Yan Lu, whose working group within HIPOLE Jena is dedicated to the development and production of functional hybrid materials. A particular focus here is on the detailed characterisation of materials and devices, which is also carried out using advanced operando methods.

One position is assigned to the department of Prof Dr Felix Schacher, who is based at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. As an associate member, he has been part of HIPOLE Jena since the institute was founded and is involved in preparative polymer chemistry, as well as the self-organisation and investigation of nanostructured polymer materials.

The positions in Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert’s department at HIPOLE Jena focus on polymer-based batteries (from printable thin-film polymer batteries to scalable redox flow batteries). In particular, the synthesis of polymer materials and their characterisation and application in energy storage systems are in the foreground.

Your Tasks

Area A:

• Synthesis and characterisation of novel monomers and polymers for use as membranes in photoelectrochemical cells and redox flow batteries (e.g. based on polysulfones)
• Functionalisation and structural characterisation of polymers
• Characterisation and testing of membranes in suitable systems
• Evaluation of established and new synthesis routes from a sustainability perspective
• Summary, presentation and publication of the results (in English)

Area B:

• Characterisation of the polymer membranes by means of X-ray scattering
• Assembly and electrochemical characterisation of polymer-based batteries
• Characterisation of the battery cell using 3D imaging methods (in situ/operando)
• Summary, presentation and publication of the results (in English)

Your Profile

PhD: successful university degree in chemistry or a comparable degree programme. Post-doc: successful university degree in chemistry or a comparable degree programme and doctorate in electrochemistry, physical chemistry, chemistry, materials science and materials engineering or a closely related field with sound knowledge of electrochemistry and battery research.

• Very good knowledge of polymer chemistry and polymer physics
• Knowledge of electrochemistry
• Knowledge of basic analytical techniques and methods
• Knowledge of the production and characterisation of battery cells
• Very good written and spoken English skills

You demonstrate a high degree of motivation, initiative and willingness to familiarise yourself with a wide range of tasks and are characterised by your ability to work in a team, reliability, independence and communication skills. You enjoy working in an interdisciplinary, international team in a diverse and dynamic working environment.

Benefits

• An international/diversity-sensitive working environment at a Helmholtz institute with a workplace in the science city Jena
• Good work-life balance (flexible work time models: flextime, part-time)
• 30 days paid leave
• Health management, company pension scheme (VBL)
• Opportunities for further development/training opportunities
• And a team that looks forward to meeting you!

Fixed term contract for 24 months. The salary is based on the Collective Agreement for the German Public Service (TVöD-Bund).

How to apply

The fixed-term basis is dependent on the activity as a:

• Post-doc (m/f/d) – 24 months
• PhD student (m/f/d) – 48 months

We look forward to receiving your application via our application management system by . For reasons of data protection regulations, we are unfortunately unable to consider applications that reach us by other means (such as email or mail) in the application process.

We very much want our workplace to be diverse and welcome applications from people with different backgrounds. It is our mission to promote equal opportunities and to improve women’s representation in the workforce. We are therefore very interested in receiving applications from women. Where the qualifications are met, we will give preference to people with disabilities.