Career Center

The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) is assembling a team of Electrochemical Energy Storage Research Faculty (EESRF) to collaborate with UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers in the area of Electrochemical Energy Storage.  Members of this cluster will be hired through the University of Tennessee Knoxville but most will have a primary office on the ORNL campus.

UT-ORII was founded in 2019 by the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to help the US maintain prominence as a global leader in innovation and discovery, and to create a robust talent pipeline in areas of growing national need and demand. UT-ORII is funded by the Department of Energy and the State of Tennessee.

Roles and Responsibilities

UT-ORII research faculty will work in collaboration with UT and ORNL researchers. Research faculty will collaborate on laboratory experiments and reporting, proposal preparation and submission, support for existing research projects, and student mentoring at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

More About UT-ORII

The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute is a partnership of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and UT created to prepare interdisciplinary leaders in energy science and technology and develop a world-class workforce for industry, government, and academia that will drive innovation and create the industries of the future.

Today's energy economy is driven by disruptive technologies and swift change. The US is in a global competition for jobs, talent, and investment. To successfully compete, we must develop leadership talent in research and development (R&D), encourage entrepreneurship, and create an educational environment that promotes rapid innovation and attracts skilled professionals.

Leveraging a 75-plus-year UT-ORNL partnership, UT and ORNL have developed joint institutes, joint facilities, interdisciplinary PhD programs, and comprehensive joint faculty arrangements, including 17 Governor's Chairs recruited for the significance of their impacts in their fields.

UT-ORII's overall goal is to become a center for convergent research and talent development, helping maintain US prominence as a global innovation leader and providing tangible benefits to Tennessee.

More About Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Since its establishment in 1943, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been delivering scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs needed to realize solutions in energy and national security and provide economic benefit to the nation. More than 5,800 employees representing 60+ nations apply unique facilities, sophisticated tools, and signature strengths in neutron science, high-performance computing, advanced materials, biology and environmental science, clean energy, fission and fusion science and engineering, isotopes, and national security research to benefit science and society. In addition, ORNL's wide range of partnerships with other US Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories and programs, universities, and industry have enabled outstanding contributions to science. Over the years, ORNL researchers have received Nobel Prizes, contributed to the discovery of elements, received hundreds of R&D 100 Awards, and more. 

• PhD in in a related Engineering or Science discipline. 
• Significant post-doctoral experience is desired 
• Baseline knowledge of battery-related science and/or engineering, notably testing and electrochemical characterization. The energy storage experience of the candidate can be focused on any combination of conventional batteries or redox flow batteries, including work focused on components of such devices
• Additional expert-level skills that complement research activities at UTK and ORNL and within the EESRF team.

 For example, candidates that combine some expertise in battery component materials with expertise in spectroscopy, neutron scattering, material (polymer, inorganic material) synthesis, computational studies, materials processing and so on are of particular interest, though candidates who can define a unique area are also encouraged. 

The team to be constructed will have complementary skills but will be primarily focused on electrochemical energy storage.

• Demonstrated research skills
• Strong communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
• A clear path to independence as a researcher is desired though an 'on-ramp' through collaboration with more senior investigators is also encouraged. 
• Since the investigator is likely to participate in providing some level of instruction in accord with the UT-ORII mission, some formal teaching experience is desirable. 
• The commitment to mentoring junior investigators who will work with the Research Faculty is important and, if available, demonstrated experience is a plus.

The position will be implemented via a 5-year, renewable contract. Salary will be determined commensurate with experience.  Benefits will be typical of those of exempt employees at the University of Tennessee.  Some funds are available to outfit a lab and a recurring budget is also available.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must include (1) a letter of interest; (2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae; (3) a research plan; and (4) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three professional references. All application materials should be submitted in Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/105922.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Requests for accommodations of a disability should be directed to the Office of Equity & Diversity, 1840 Melrose Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3560 or oed@utk.edu or (865)974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation & Resolution 216 Business Incubator Building 2450 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 or (865)974-0717 or investigations@utk.edu.

About University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Our primary mission is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based, land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions.

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