The department of Nuclear Engineering within the Tickle College of Engineering is seeking a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the field of Synthetic Organic Chemistry.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• Ph.D. in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry, materials chemistry or a closely related field

• Demonstrated expertise in multi‑step small‑molecule synthesis and analytical characterization.

Experience:

• Designing and executing complex organic syntheses,

• Preparing intermediates and analyzing compounds, and

• A record of peer‑reviewed publications in organic synthesis, separations science or radiopharmaceutical development.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Candidates should be familiar with ligand design for metal separations

• Experience with advanced analytical methods such as NMR, LC/MS, GC and spectroscopy.

• Excellent communication skills, teamwork and mentoring ability are essential

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience:

• Familiarity with separation science involving rare‑earth and actinide elements or harsh chemical environments

• Experience with radiolabeling chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions

• Demonstrated ability to innovate in ligand or materials design

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• Anticipated hiring range: $72,000 - $78,000

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit:

• A letter of interest

• Curriculum vitae

For questions or inquiries, please contact Prof. Ilja Popovs, email: ipopovs@utk.edu.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

This role centers on experimental research in the design, synthesis and application of novel small‑molecule ligands for separating lanthanide, actinide and medically important radioisotopes. The synthetic chemist will plan and execute organic synthesis projects, developing multi‑step routes to new chelators or extractants and optimizing reaction conditions to maximize yield and selectivity. They will prepare novel chelators and perform structure–activity studies to understand how molecular modifications affect metal binding, radiolabeling efficiency and physicochemical stability.

The chemist will characterize products using techniques such as NMR, LC‑MS, ICP‑MS and other spectroscopies, and evaluate the separation performance of these ligands under relevant environmental and radiological conditions. This includes designing liquid–liquid extraction, chromatographic or membrane‑assisted tests to measure selectivity, permeability and stability for f‑element separations, then using those results to support mechanistic studies of ion–ligand interactions. For radiopharmaceutical applications the researcher will synthesize radiolabeling precursors and participate in labeling and imaging experiments.

The position requires collaboration with a multidisciplinary team across the University of Tennessee, including mentoring graduate students, maintaining thorough laboratory records, preparing technical reports and peer‑reviewed publications, and contributing to proposals and future research initiatives.