Senior/Principal R&D Materials Science - Analytical and Tritium Technologies, 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

*These benefits vary by job classification.

We are seeking an R&D Materials Scientist who has an interest and background in the electrical breakdown of materials. The selected candidate should also have experience in physical metallurgy, Ceramic science and engineering including interest in joining of metals and the characterization; as well as understands these processes and materials.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Assist or lead one or more of the departments critical activities or labs. This work includes preparing or generating test samples and experimental plans for procured and produced materials of interest including ceramics, polymers, and metal, analyze the samples using a variety of in-house techniques, contact sister labs within and outside Sandia to acquire relevant data, and then collaborating with center staff, and customers, communicating the data, recommending appropriate technical path-forward and ensuring the center needs are met
• Build a deeper understanding of structure-property-processing relationships for materials systems of interest. Active areas of work include structure-property relationships influencing high field electrical breakdowns, mechanical behavior of materials, wetting of metals and impacts on joint strength and reliability, role of stresses on adhesion and reliability of interfaces of interest, new materials development for specified electrical and mechanical properties, and ceramic-metal joining using conventional and active brazes
• Bring your creativity, curiosity and deep knowledge of materials to formulate new ideas to tackle unique technical problems and bring new points of view and solutions

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 obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance

The ideal R&D S&E Materials Science 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

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Strong background in one or more of the following areas: Materials characterization (including microstructural analysis, x-ray diffraction analyses, Focused ion Beam), Mechanical behavior of materials, Electrical breakdown in materials, Physical metallurgy, Ceramic processing and characterization
• Experience in materials property measurements, materials characterization and processing of materials
• Deep understanding of the structure-property-processing relationships in materials
• Expertise in physical metallurgy or measurement of electrical breakdown events in materials

The Analytical and Tritium Technologies Department is responsible for performing chemical and physical testing of materials and components for the Neutron Tube and Neutron Generator Production Programs within the Neutron Generator Production Center. The Department consists of laboratories specializing in defect/failure analysis, surface chemistry, radiochemistry, metallurgy and Ceramics, wet-chemistry and instrumental analysis, gas dynamics and mass spectrometry and particulate contamination control. Our goal is to provide technical expertise, consultation and analysis capabilities required to support the Centers production mission.

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.