Postdoctoral Researcher in Circular Battery Materials – University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Experimental Memory for Circular Battery Materials. Based at the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences within the Faculty of Science, the position will play a key role in the CONTINUUM project in collaboration with industrial partner BOR-LYTE. The researcher will combine spectroscopy, data science, and industrial manufacturing data to accelerate the innovation and qualification of sodium-ion battery materials.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Experimental Memory for Circular Battery Materials – University of Amsterdam

Overview & Key Details

Job Description

As part of the CONTINUUM project, you will develop and validate methods to transform heterogeneous analytical and process data into persistent experimental memory. You will link NMR and IR spectra with sample, batch, process, and performance information to recover precedents, identify trends, flag deviations, and interpret production variability.

Key responsibilities include:

• Defining the CONTINUUM data architecture, metadata structure, and provenance requirements.
• Developing traceable pipelines to ingest, quality-control, and harmonise large NMR and IR datasets.
• Benchmarking spectral retrieval, multivariate analysis, clustering, and machine-learning algorithms.
• Building a functional demonstrator that connects analytical features to process and battery performance contexts.
• Validating the framework using BOR-LYTE’s real-world production data and publishing the findings in scientific journals.

Eligibility and Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

• A PhD (or equivalent doctoral level) in Chemistry, Data Science, Chemometrics, or a related discipline.
• Hands-on experience in scientific programming (preferably Python) handling complex research datasets.
• Background or practical experience in NMR or IR spectroscopy, chemometrics, data engineering, information retrieval, or machine learning.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain data provenance, work with imperfect datasets, and distinguish rigorous evidence from tentative correlations.
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills to work across chemistry, data science, and industrial manufacturing teams.
• Beneficial but not required: Knowledge of FAIR data principles, battery materials, or industrial production/quality-control environments.

What Is Offered

• A full-time temporary contract for 18 months (38 hours per week).
• A monthly gross salary between €3,706 and €5,760 (Scale 10), excluding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.
• Favourable tax benefits (the 30% ruling) may apply to qualifying international candidates.
• 232 holiday hours per year (full-time basis) plus university-wide closure days between Christmas and New Year.
• Generous leave arrangements (including partner and parental leave) and pension contributions via ABP.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application online containing the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivation Letter: Outlining your interest and suitability for the role (maximum 2 A4 pages).
2. Curriculum Vitae: Detailed CV including specific months and years for work/education history and a list of publications.
3. References: Contact information of at least one academic referee.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

For inquiries regarding this position, please contact Prof. Dr. J.C. Slootweg, Full Professor in Circular Chemistry.

Important Links & Deadlines

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026
Official Application Link: Apply via University of Amsterdam Vacancy Portal