Assistant Professor in Hydrometallurgy in Vancouver

The Department of Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver campus) seeks qualified applicants for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in hydrometallurgy, with an emphasis on solvent extraction and ion exchange. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Over its long history, the Department of Materials Engineering at UBC has distinguished itself with excellence in research, teaching and service in Materials Engineering. The Department has a strong record of collaborative work within UBC and industry and promotes interdisciplinary research. This appointment will strengthen solution purification and separation expertise within UBC’s Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy and support integrated process development for primary and secondary resources.

We seek an emerging researcher with expertise in aqueous speciation, chemical equilibria and separation chemistry, and demonstrated expertise in solvent extraction, ion exchange or both. Relevant capabilities include metal–ligand chemistry, extraction and exchange equilibria, reaction kinetics, mass transfer, and the behaviour of complex multicomponent solutions. Research should connect fundamental materials chemistry with process performance, including selectivity, loading and stripping, regeneration, phase behaviour and reagent stability.

Potential research directions include:

• Selective metal recovery from complex leach solutions
• Improved extractants, resins and operating strategies
• Impurity removal
• Separations for base and precious metals, critical minerals and recycled materials

The candidate will integrate rigorous experiments and quantitative models, consider realistic process conditions, and develop a credible path from focused separations research toward broader hydrometallurgical processes. Potential for growth into complementary areas such as leaching, precipitation, crystallization, and electrochemical recovery is valued; expertise across all these areas is not expected.

The successful candidate will develop an independent, internationally recognized research program and seek funding, both individually and collaboratively, from government and industrial sources. Responsibilities will also include teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervising undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, and providing service to the University and the broader community. The successful candidate will be expected to develop an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning and research environment that is respectful of all students, staff and faculty.

The appointee will have the opportunity to work within the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy to develop research, engage industrial sponsors and sustain UBC’s excellence in hydrometallurgy. Established in 1988 with nine Canadian sponsors, the Industrial Research Chair in Hydrometallurgy at UBC now has 17 sponsors worldwide. The Chair comprises a group of professors who are world-renowned innovators and researchers in their respective fields. The Chair focuses on three key mandates: conducting research, delivering technical short courses to sponsors, and training undergraduate and graduate students. Developing and delivering Chair short courses will be a core contribution, initially emphasizing aqueous chemistry, solvent extraction, ion exchange and flowsheet integration. Teaching contributions are also expected in undergraduate and graduate hydrometallurgy and related subjects. Experience with industrial process development or pilot-scale investigations would be valuable, assessed relative to career stage.

A Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or a closely related discipline is required. Applicants should demonstrate a strong record of research achievement and teaching ability, or clear potential to excel in these areas, relative to career stage. The successful candidate must be registered or be eligible to register as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with Engineers & Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC). Registration is required within five years of appointment.

Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. The Faculty of Applied Science is committed to offering equitable salaries, taking into consideration the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate as well as their years in rank. The expected starting salary range for the Assistant Professor position is $120,000 - $130,000 per annum. The expected starting salary range for the Associate Professor position is $165,000 - $185,000 per annum. This position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package.

The University of British Columbia hires on the basis of merit, assessed in areas of scholarly activity, teaching and service, and is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process, we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

The Department is located on UBC's Point Grey campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, a vibrant and culturally diverse city situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains and consistently ranked among the world's most livable cities. The University of British Columbia and the Department of Materials Engineering acknowledge the xwmθkwym (Musqueam) people on whose traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory the university resides.