Job Description

Special Instructions to Applicants

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Prof. Yruegas’ research group in the Department of Chemistry at Rice University is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of synthetic inorganic chemistry.

The successful candidate will perform synthetic inorganic chemistry research toward designing new catalytic chemical reactions and provide laboratory leadership in a growing research group. They will be provided with a dynamic research environment and mentorship toward achieving their career goals.

Rice University is one of the top private research universities in the United States, ranked 17th in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report for national research universities. Located in Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., the laboratory is adjacent to the world’s largest biomedical center, including MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine among over a dozen top biomedical research institutions. Rice University has made significant contributions in the fields of materials science, nanoscience, and artificial heart research.

Workplace Requirements:

This is a full-time in-person position at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Weekends and evenings are not required, though the candidate may work at these times at their discretion.

Travel outside of Rice University is not required for the position, though the successful candidate will be encouraged to attend at least one relevant scientific conference during their tenure in order to further their professional development.

The position entails exposure to the associated hazards of a synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry laboratory, including the use of toxic, pyrophoric, or corrosive chemicals on occasion. However, we will strictly adhere to best practices for the safe handling of these substances and will do everything in our power to mitigate their associated risks in collaboration with Environmental Health & Safety.

Finally, this position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in chemistry with a focus on organic, inorganic, or organometallic chemistry

Required Skills

• Proficiency with synthetic inorganic chemical techniques including (but not limited to): designing, implementing, and analyzing experiments on both test and preparatory scales; optimizing reaction conditions via experimental variable screens; characterizing small molecules via NMR, FTIR, and other spectroscopic methods
• Solid foundation in presenting scientific results both orally and via the written word
• Strong ability to survey and assess the scientific literature
• Ability to mentor junior graduate students and/or undergraduate students
• Able to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction
• Ability to write scholarly papers based on ongoing research and submit them to journals for publication
• Able to work in a collaborative environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills

Preferences

• Ph.D. in relevant field with a focus in synthetic inorganic synthesis

Essential Functions

• Perform synthetic inorganic chemistry research toward designing new catalytic chemical reactions
• Provide laboratory leadership and experimental expertise to the research group
• Designs and implements research protocols; adapts new procedures, methods or instrumentation relative to research procedures
• Publishes and presents research findings
• Supports project management and collaboration across institutions or disciplines
• Assists with proposal development to obtain research funding
• Mentors, oversees, and/or trains junior research team members
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits:https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.