Postdoc Research Scholar- Zhang Lab

Strategic Partnership Management

• Liaising with Industry: Acting as the primary point of contact for private sector partners to align research goals with commercial applications or milestones.
• Managing Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs): Oversight of the logistical and legal exchange of reagents, cell lines, or proprietary data between institutions.
• Identifying Synergy: Evaluating the capabilities of external labs to determine where collaborative efforts can fill technical gaps or provide access to specialized equipment.

Scientific Communication & Representation

• Formal Advocacy: Representing the Principal Investigator (PI) or the institution in high-stakes meetings, ensuring the lab’s interests and intellectual contributions are protected.
• Interdisciplinary Translation: Bridging the gap between different scientific fields (e.g., explaining biological data to software engineers or investors) to ensure project cohesion.
• Stakeholder Reporting: Crafting and delivering progress reports to funding agencies, boards of directors, or steering committees.

Conferences & Thought Leadership

• Dissemination of Findings: Selecting high-impact venues for the presentation of data, ranging from specialized workshops to major international symposia.
• Panel Participation: Serving as a moderator or expert panelist to influence the direction of the broader scientific discourse.
• Active Networking: Proactively identifying potential new collaborators and staying abreast of competitors’ progress to maintain the lab’s edge.

Collaborative Project Oversight

• Coordinating Multi-Site Studies: Managing the timeline and data integration for projects involving multiple global locations to ensure consistency in methodology.
• Conflict Resolution: Navigating disagreements regarding data ownership, authorship order, or research direction between collaborative parties.
• Grant Support: Assisting in the writing and coordination of multi-investigator grant applications (such as NIH U-series or P-series grants).

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Ability to perform lab related skills in chemistry, biomaterials, or related fields.
• Scientific writing for lab research.
• Develop proposals that seek funding from federal agencies and industry in related areas of research.
• Conduct experiments using animal models.

Other Work/Responsibilities:

• Laboratory management.
• Prepare reports and presentations as needed.
• Oversee work of hourly and graduate students working on project.

Wolfpack Perks and Benefits:

As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.

What we offer:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement and Leave
• Faculty and Staff Assistance Program
• Enhance your career with LEAD courses
• Attend non-revenue generating sporting events for free.

Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.

Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with occasional overtime.

Department Required Skills:

• PhD in Chemistry or related fields
• Laboratory experience

Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education:

• Advanced Academic Foundation: Ph.D. in Chemistry, Biomaterials, or a closely related field, supported by extensive post-doctoral or industry experience in high-level laboratory environments.
• Specialized Technical Expertise: Proven track record of mastery in chemistry and biomaterials, demonstrating sophisticated laboratory skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex experimental frameworks.
• Scientific Communication Excellence: Exceptional proficiency in English scientific writing, evidenced by a strong portfolio of high-impact, peer-reviewed publications produced during and after doctoral training.
• Strategic Research Leadership: Significant years of hands-on laboratory experience, characterized by the successful management of independent research projects and the mentorship of junior scientific staff.

Required License or Certification:

N/A

Valid NC Driver's License required?:

No

Commercial Driver's License Required?:

No

Anticipated Hiring Range:

$60,000-$70,000

Job Open Date:

09/17/2026

Quick Link: https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/235111

EEO:

NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Organization

NC State: Think and Do

NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina and the country. We began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, we're a pre-eminent research enterprise with 12 colleges excelling in all major academic fields.

Our 34,000 high-performing students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world by conducting research, working in internships and co-ops, and performing acts of world-changing service. That experiential education ensures that they leave here ready to lead the workforce. NC State's 13:1 student-faculty ratio is one of the reasons why we're the best college for your money in North Carolina (Money) and the No. 5 best value among public universities nationally (U.S. News & World Report).

Overcoming Challenges, Improving Lives

NC State is one of only two universities in the nation leading two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers — one developing wearable, self-powered health monitors, and the other researching smart-grid technology. We’re also leading interdisciplinary efforts to curb nuclear proliferation, help farmers confront climate change and build a new American manufacturing sector.

Our research doesn't just get published in a journal or sit on a shelf; it makes an impact. NC State is No. 6 nationwide in commercialization agreements based on university research, and we're No. 2 among universities without a medical school. Our Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based information to citizens in all 100 North Carolina counties. In addition, our industrial extension unit — Industry Expansion Solutions — has created an economic benefit for the state's manufacturers averaging $149 million per year since 2005.

Bright Minds Creating a Bold Future

NC State’s 9,000 faculty and staff are world leaders in their fields, bridging the divides between academic disciplines and training high-caliber students to meet tomorrow’s challenges. NC State students won two Goldwater scholarships, five Fulbright scholarships, one Churchill scholarship and a record-breaking 25 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships in the 2016-2017 academic year. In addition, 25 faculty are members of the National Academies.

Our Centennial Campus, an award-winning public-private research campus, is home to more than 70 partner organizations working alongside more than 70 NC State research and academic units. Centennial is also the location of the innovative Hunt Library, which Time magazine has dubbed “the library of the future.”

In Raleigh and Around the World

It all happens in one of the best cities in America. A top spot for job-seekers and tech professionals, Raleigh is nationally recognized as a leading urban center:

• No. 2 hot spot for tech jobs (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 3 best city for young professionals (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 4 best city for jobs (Glassdoor.com, 2017)
• No. 4 best place to live (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)
• Best big city in the Southeast (Time, 2016)
• Selected as a Google Fiber expansion city

With Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a national hotspot for high-tech enterprise. The top companies in the region — including IBM, Cisco Systems, SAS Institute, Biogen Idec and GlaxoSmithKline — are among the country’s best employers. They also lead the way in hiring new NC State graduates.

More than 130 years after its creation, NC State continues to make its founding purpose a reality. Every day, our career-ready graduates and world-leading faculty make the fruits of learning and discovery available to people across the state, throughout the nation and around the world.