The National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) has an opening for a Postdoctoral Associate to work in the general area of computational chemistry and materials modeling. The successful candidate will be a member of an interdisciplinary team working on a range of problems involving multifunctional nanocomposite materials, located in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia. The role of the candidate will be to apply molecular modeling techniques, primarily classical force field based methods, to understand the properties of the systems currently under development and to propose new formulations based on predicted property improvements. The candidate will become conversant in the experimental components of these projects, including synthesis, characterization, and processing of nanocomposites. The candidate will be expected to stay abreast of new developments both in their own field of specialization and in the broader topics and techniques of interest to their research team. US Citizenship or Permanent Residency is a bona fide requirement due to the nature of the projects involved.

Requirements:
• Minimum PhD degree or equivalent in field of chemistry, physics, or materials science
• Extensive experience with MD simulations of polymer and composite materials
• Experience in developing and validating MD forcefields
• Desire to work collaboratively in teams composed of members with expertise in synthesis, characterization, and processing of polymer and composite materials

Desired skills:
• Experience in performing quantum chemical calculations
• Experience with coarse graining and generalized ensemble approaches
• Familiar with experimental approaches relevant to this research area
• Familiar with compiled (Fortran and/or C) and interpreted (Python)programming/scripting languages
• Experience with parallel computing on a Linux-based platform

To apply: Interested candidates should apply via NIA’s employment site located at http://www.nianet.org. Please include a letter of introduction, resume, abstract of doctoral dissertation, description of career goals, and the names and contact information of three current references.

National Institute of Aerospace, located near NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is a rapidly-growing, non-profit research and graduate education institute created to perform aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation, and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.  Additional information about NIA and its research programs is available via the World Wide Web at http://www.nianet.org/.

NIA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.  Applications from women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.