PostDoc Position in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Towards Oxalate Production

Are you passionate about the Energy Transition and eager to make a real impact?

Join our team!
The Electrochemistry Team, led by Dr. Amanda Garcia within the Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group, is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct fundamental research on electrochemical CO₂ conversion towards oxalate.

This is what you are going to do

• Conduct fundamental research on electrochemical CO₂ conversion within the framework of the collaborative project.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and prepare research outputs for publication and presentation.
• Supervise and support undergraduate and postgraduate students in experimental techniques and data analysis.
• Contribute to maintaining a safe, well-organized, and efficient laboratory environment.
• Collaborate with consortium partners and participate in project meetings, training, and dissemination activities.

This is what we ask of you

• You have a working and thinking level equivalent to a PhD in chemistry or electrochemistry.
• You bring experience in electrochemical research and are eager to deepen your understanding of CO₂ conversion processes.
• You communicate clearly in English, both in writing and speaking.
• When it gets busy, you stay organized and keep your work moving forward.
• You enjoy working with students and collaborating with colleagues from different disciplines and institutions.
• You have hands-on experience with electrochemical methods and analytical techniques such as gas or liquid chromatography.
• Experience with in situ spectroscopic techniques (IR, Raman, or mass spectrometry) is a plus.
• You write papers, present your work at conferences, and share your results with the consortium and wider community.

This is what we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 12 months. A possible extension of 12 months may be granted, subject to the demonstration of adequate performance. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between €3,546 and €5,538 (scale 10). This amount does not include the 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus. The UFO profile Researcher 4 is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities applies.

Besides the salary and a vibrant, collaborative environment at Science Park, we offer you an extensive package of secondary benefits, including:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on full-time employment) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership, academic writing, and communication;
• training in time management, stress handling, and access to an online learning platform with 100+ courses;
• 7 weeks of birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• a pension at ABP, with UvA contributing two-thirds of the premium;
• the possibility to take Dutch language courses.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits? Take a look here!

This is where you will work
The Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) is one of eight institutes of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) Faculty of Science. HIMS performs internationally recognized chemistry and molecular research, curiosity driven as well as application driven. This is done in close cooperation with the chemical, flavor & food, medical and high-tech industries. Research is organized into four themes: Analytical Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Synthesis & Catalysis and Molecular Photonics.

You will work in the Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group, under the supervision of Dr. Amanda Garcia. The group focuses on developing innovative electrochemical strategies for sustainable synthesis and carbon utilization, bridging fundamental electrochemistry with applied catalysis.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV. You can respond via the red button up to 20 November.

Please include the following documents in your application (as PDF files):

• A motivation letter (max. 2 pages A4)
• Your CV, including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience, including a list of publications
• Contact details of at least one academic reference

We will review applications on a rolling basis and continue recruiting until the position is filled. The first interviews will be scheduled from 20 November. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the internal candidate. A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure (for details: national knowledge security guidelines).

For questions about the position, please contact:

Dr. Amanda Garcia, Assistant Professor in Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis: a.c.garcia@uva.nl