Senior/Principal R&D S&E, Materials Science - Analytical Chemistry, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

• Develop new methodologies or tools for measuring gas, liquid, or solid compositions and their impurities
• Utilize existing tools and technologies in unique ways to solve complex problems
• Further the understanding of materials aging, decomposition, or interaction with other materials
• Pursue research funding internally and externally
• Learn about a variety of processes and products and select appropriate analytical tools to evaluate those processes and products
• Communicate effectively with internal customers, determine their analytical measurement needs, design protocols and test methods, collect data, and report on results
• Work collaboratively with other staff, technologists and others both within and external to the Analytical Science & Corrosion department
• Publish and/or present the results of your work both internally and externally

This is an outstanding opportunity for a qualified individual to participate in groundbreaking research while contributing to a large variety of problems faced by the national security complex and to bring their skills to bear in solving these problems.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

$117,500 - $235,700

• Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q security clearance

The ideal R&D Material Scientist candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Materials Science or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience in a research and development environment.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques.
• Experience working on teams consisting of multidisciplinary and multi-disciplinary experimentalists, modelers, and theorists with a common goal.
• Effective interpersonal skills for giving presentations, preparing reports, writing articles, and explaining the important aspects of technical work to customers.

The ideal candidate will also have the following:

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or closely related science or engineering field, plus 1 or more years of postgraduate experience
• Solid interpersonal skills as evidenced by a record of publication of results in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional technical conferences (A publication list should be included as in your resume)
• Minimum of 2 years proven experience in a research laboratory
• Experience with proposing and acquiring funding for original scientific research
• Research program or expertise that can grow the research portfolio of the department
• Experience working with highly hazardous chemicals (HF, strong acids, etc.)
• Experience with inorganic analytical techniques (ICP/MS, ICP/OES, and digestion methods)
• Experience with separations (gas and liquid) and detectors (mass spectrometry, FID, TCD, UV/VIS)
• Understanding of and experience with mass spectrometry ionization methods (ESI, APCI, EI, CI, MALDI)
• Advanced data processing skills with Masslynx and/or Chemstation and/or Masshunter/AMDIS
• Ability to prioritize tasks and execute multiple projects simultaneously
• A dedication to quality, safety, collaboration, and teamwork
  

The reliability of devices, components, and ultimately systems is directly affected by the properties and interactions of their constituent materials. The prime goal of the Analytical Science and Corrosion Department is to ensure that effective materials-related information is provided to customers who design and field high-consequence hardware, such that long-term reliability will be attained. Our department's R&D activities have significant focus on the needs of Sandia's Nuclear Deterrence program customers. We also provide support to customers in other areas including Energy and Environment and National Security Programs. We have expertise in gas/solid interactions, corrosion and electrochemistry, and the aging and mechanical properties of ceramics, glasses and other brittle materials. We provide this expertise and support to our customers during all phases of design, production, storage, use, and retirement.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.