Post-Doctoral Fellow Algae

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to work on an algae based water treatment research project focused on the use of microalgae, cyanobacteria, or algal bacterial systems for sustainable water treatment applications. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, operation, optimization, and monitoring of photobioreactor based systems and support the development of scalable algae based treatment technologies. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with the project team to operate laboratory scale and pilot scale photobioreactors, evaluate system performance, analyze biological and physicochemical treatment processes, and generate high quality research outputs.

Responsibilities

• Design, operate, and maintain photobioreactor systems for algae based water treatment experiments.
• Cultivate and monitor microalgae, cyanobacteria, or algal bacterial consortia under controlled environmental conditions.
• Optimize operating parameters such as hydraulic retention time, salinity, light intensity, nutrient loading, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, carbon dioxide supply, and mixing.
• Evaluate treatment performance, including nutrient removal, biomass productivity, organic matter removal, salinity related impacts, and overall water quality improvement.
• Conduct routine water quality analyses, including conductivity, TDS, salinity, pH, alkalinity, COD, nitrogen species, phosphorus, and relevant ionic composition.
• Support the setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance of sensors, pumps, lighting systems, gas supply systems, and monitoring equipment.
• Develop experimental plans, collect and analyze data, and prepare technical reports.
• Contribute to peer reviewed journal publications, conference presentations, and project deliverables.
• Supervise graduate and undergraduate students involved in the project.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety procedures and good research practices.
• Assist with procurement of materials, chemicals, equipment, and consumables related to the project.
• Participate in project meetings and coordinate with collaborators and funding partners.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Water Resources Engineering, or a closely related field.
• A strong background in operating photobioreactors, preferably for microalgae, cyanobacteria, or algal bacterial systems.
• Hands on experience with algae based biological water or wastewater treatment systems.
• Experience working with saline water, brackish water, seawater, wastewater, or industrial water treatment applications.
• Strong knowledge of water quality analysis and environmental laboratory methods.
• Experience in experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of reactor performance.
• A strong publication record or demonstrated ability to publish in peer reviewed journals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with algae based treatment systems using microalgae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, or algal bacterial consortia.
• Operation of flat panel, tubular, column, raceway, or internally illuminated photobioreactors.
• Treatment of saline, brackish, seawater, wastewater, or nutrient rich waste streams.
• Knowledge of ion transport, nutrient recovery, carbon capture, biomass harvesting, or biomass valorization.
• Experience in molecular or microbiological techniques for characterizing microbial communities.
• Pilot scale reactor operation and field deployment.
• Process modeling, mass balance analysis, kinetic modeling, or techno economic assessment.
• Use of sensors, data logging systems, automation, and real time monitoring.
• Grant writing, proposal development, or preparation of funding reports.