About Us

Ever eat an Impossible Burger, cooked plant-based chicken, or recycle a plastic water bottle? There isn’t a facet of modern life that chemical engineers have not touched.

Chemical engineers have been part of almost every major development from plastics and fibers to unleaded gasoline to solar power and medicines. If it’s modern, chemical engineers helped make it happen.

AIChE, founded in 1908, is a professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities, and government, using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. AIChE fosters and disseminates chemical engineering knowledge, assists the professional and personal growth of its members, and applies the expertise of its members to address societal needs and improve the quality of life. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security.

The RAPID Manufacturing Institute, part of the Manufacturing USA network, operates out of AIChE, and in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to promote transformation of the chemical process industry with the goals of improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing safety and productivity.
The position is nominally a 12-month postdoctoral appointment with a target start date of August 1, 2023, and ending no later than September 30, 2024, with an option to extend for another 12 months. The position may be fulfilled via telecommuting with a demonstrated ability to work across geographic boundaries with multi-location teams.

Position Summary

The RAPID Fellow works with RAPID’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as part of the Technical Department to facilitate a wide range of technical, and outreach activities within the RAPID Manufacturing Institute. The RAPID Fellow works with a diverse RAPID staff and project teams from RAPID member organizations. The successful person for this role will coordinate seamlessly with project managers and have the ability to learn quickly, and engage technically in diverse projects in chemical engineering science. Experience in process development, process intensification, and/or process systems engineering is desired.

Responsibilities

• Participate in technical projects with direct task responsibilities (e.g. TEA/LCA, process modeling) supporting the development of advanced process technologies by RAPID and partners

• Provide technical insights needed to monitor project teams relative to milestones, identify any problems or successes, manage risks, clear roadblocks, and assist with work plan changes and/or project close-outs

• Assist senior-level RAPID technical team with research project teambuilding, engineering consulting, grant writing and other institute sustainability related activities

• Strategize with senior-level RAPID technical team staff to assist with strategic program management

• Evaluate, organize and distribute the tools and models part of the RAPID Software Toolbox

• Contribute to proposals for new funding opportunities to public (e.g. DOE, DOD) and private agencies

• Travel approximately 20% (anticipated after the economy opens and travel restrictions are lifted)

Competencies

• Communication skills (verbal and written)

• Accountability

• Collaboration

• Organized

• Meticulous

Preferred Software Proficiencies

• MS Office Products (PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Outlook)

• Web conferencing (e.g., WebEx, Zoom and Teams) software

• Experience using commercial process simulation and modeling software (e.g. Aspen Plus, Chemcad, gPROMS, Pro/II, etc.) and other custom modeling environments

Educational Requirements

• Ph.D. in chemical engineering or related discipline from an accredited university

Salary

• The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $90,000

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.