Postdoctoral Researcher in Purification of Acidic and Complex Aqueous Media Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is advertising a postdoctoral researcher position within the Materials Science, Energy, and Nano-engineering (MSN) department in Morocco. The role is focused on the purification of acidic and complex aqueous media, with an emphasis on selective impurity removal, impurity recovery, and the development of sustainable, scalable processing routes for industrial applications.

The project centers on the design and optimization of strategies for purifying acidic and aqueous streams through the selective removal of impurities to enable higher-purity acid products and more sustainable industrial processing. The researcher will work on reagent selection, precipitation agents, functionalized materials, ion-exchange resins, staged separations, and optimization of selectivity and yield in multi-impurity systems. The position also includes reactor design and scale-up from batch to prototype, process integration, and mass-transfer optimization under corrosive conditions.

Additional responsibilities include investigating material stability, impurity control, and competing-species effects in highly acidic and complex matrices. The role relies on extensive use of characterization and quantification tools such as XRD, FTIR, ICP, as well as other structural and spectroscopic methods, to identify phases and measure major and trace impurities in feeds and purified products. The successful candidate will also contribute to collaborative proposals and high-impact publications.

UM6P presents itself as an internationally oriented institution committed to applied research, innovation, and transdisciplinary collaboration aimed at sustainable development in Morocco and Africa. The MSN department works across energy transition, surface technology, polymers and composites, and sustainable materials, and is described as a growing research environment with strong national and international collaborations.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold a PhD in Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering, with a specialization in separation, purification, or resource recovery. Strong hands-on expertise in complex-material characterization and multi-component systems is required, together with practical knowledge of FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDS, ICP, and HPLC; understanding of acid-base equilibria, speciation, and selectivity; and demonstrated experience in selective recovery of metals or impurities from acidic or aqueous media. Experience in prototyping, scale-up, and process integration is also expected, along with strong English communication skills.

Application: submit a detailed CV, a cover letter with a synthetic presentation of your background and research activities, publication record and achievements, plus research and teaching plans, entrepreneurial ideas if any, and services to the UM6P community. Include contact details for three referees. The application deadline is not specified in the posting.