Senior/Principal R&D Laboratory Support Technologist - Explosive Material Operations, 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.

Our team has a need for a hard-working, meticulous, and experienced chemist to join us in our Material Processing and Characterization Laboratories. This position will involve the production of high pedigree, pyrotechnic precursors and energetic materials, as well as the research and development on new or improved material processing and characterization techniques. In addition, quick-turnaround characterization of processed material using various analytical techniques, including particle size analysis, and small-scale sensitivity testing will be performed as a part of this position. As a part of this team, you will partner with stakeholders to understand their powder processing needs and timelines, provide technical recommendations, deliver high pedigree materials, perform and document research and development projects, and prepare and analyze explosive samples.

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

• Work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Assist in preparation and review safety basis documentation for hazardous work performed in area of expertise, to include an understanding of remote explosive operations.
• Assist in determining conditions under which operations are to be conducted, including safety and security conditions.
• Create, and work to, detailed work instructions for high rigor production activities.
• Perform method development and process improvement projects using design of experiments.
• Document detailed findings and observations through meticulous lab notes.
• Mill and recrystallize high explosives.
• Formulate, blend, and sieve pyrotechnic mixtures.
• Dry energetic material both as contact and remote operations.
• Explosive material handling, sub-sampling, and characterization, using laser diffraction particle size analysis, NMR, IR, or other applicable analytical techniques.
• Assist in energetic material small scale sensitivity testing and meticulous powder retrieval from energetic components.
• Work in a dynamic team environment and manage time according to work demands.
• Provide general laboratory stewardship such as environment, safety and health (ES&H) and security responsibilities, maintaining work-control documentation, managing property, coordinating activities with other laboratories.

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

$74,700 - $144,400

*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.

• Bachelor's degree in STEM, including but not limited to, Chemistry, or Materials Science , or an equivalent combination of education and scientific lab experience
• Knowledge and experience in scientific laboratory operations
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance

• Three or more years of demonstrated scientific laboratory experience
• Willingness to be trained and qualified to work with explosive materials
• Experience working with hazardous materials
• Demonstrated ability to be well organized and able to coordinate several tasks simultaneously
• Experience handling and working with explosives
• Demonstrated experience in process development and design of experiments
• Proven experience planning, conducting, and documenting high-quality, high-rigor scientific studies, to include authoring work instructions
• Demonstrated experience in setting up remote operations to include establishing and troubleshooting interlocks and remote monitoring
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in technical reports
• Experience with analytical chemistry techniques. Examples are Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analysis, NMR, IR, Optical Imaging, Gas Chromatography, Thermal analysis, etc.
• An active DOE Q clearance

The Explosive Materials Operations Department (7455-1) is responsible for laboratory operations in the areas of energetic material processing and formulation, environmental conditioning, non-destructive component testing, component disassembly, and material characterization. We partner with stakeholders to understand their material or testing needs, provide technical recommendations, and deliver quality material, data, and interpretation of results, thus enabling data driven decision making

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.