Research Associate – Sustainable Materials & Environmental Engineering

About the role

The Department of Mining and Materials Engineering at McGill University is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to advance sustainable materials and environmental process engineering projects. The role focuses on EV battery waste characterization and the development of biogas treatment technologies.

Key responsibilities

• Design and conduct research on the chemical composition of EV battery waste black mass.
• Develop lab‑scale processes for extracting lithium iron phosphate or iron (III) phosphate from waste streams.
• Plan and lead experiments for biogas production, targeting CO₂ reduction using waste concrete and enhanced phosphorus recovery.
• Analyze and interpret data, preparing reports, presentations, and scholarly publications.
• Write grant proposals to secure funding for sustainable materials initiatives.
• Supervise and train undergraduate and graduate students, ensuring rigorous laboratory practices.

Required profile

• PhD in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum five years of research experience in iron and phosphate chemistry, process development, and material characterization.
• Proven ability to lead research projects and publish findings.

Required skills

• Spectroscopy
• Microscopy
• Material characterization
• Process development
• Biogas production techniques
• Phosphate chemistry