Postdoctoral Appointee- Materials Science

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

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.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

Are you passionate about working with a full array of material characterization equipment, and collaborating with world-class experts in related fields? If so, you will want to consider applying for this postdoctoral role in which you will have the opportunity to develop new insights into the relationship between ductile material structure and mechanical properties. You will be part of a team with dynamic expertise including Digital Image Correlation, electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, thermal-sprayed coating, pulsed-power and high energy density physics, nano sciences, and energy sciences.

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

• Plan and perform experiments, collect and analyze data to understand microstructure-properties relationships in metals.
• Perform materials characterization including various forms of microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction, along with material property testing for properties including strength, toughness, hardness, modulus, adhesion and interfacial toughness, and other properties
• Apply various image and data processing techniques to produce statistics of mechanical properties
• Combine materials processing knowledge to provide recommendations for additional and/or complementary testing to provide clearer understanding of material properties and microstructural arrangements
• Interact and collaborate with other inter-disciplinary research groups within Sandia to develop new research opportunities and projects
• Publish professional journal articles and present work at local and national conferences

Qualifications We Require:

• PhD in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering or closely related technical field
• Experience in materials science with an emphasis on microstructure of metals
• Experience with experimental testing for structural material properties of metals
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DoE security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

• Knowledge of crystallography and plasticity at microstructural length scales
• Experience with mechanical design
• Experience with electron microscopy and crystallography, and electron backscatter diffraction
• Experience with materials characterization including electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and X-ray diffraction to characterize microstructures in metals
• Proficiency in digital image correlation
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing of metals and material behaviors
• Experience with programming for data analysis using Matlab, Python, or similar software
• Understanding of metallurgy principles
• Familiarity with three-dimensional data collection and analysis
• Excellent communication and teaming skills
• A strong publication record

About Our Team:

The mission of the Materials Mechanics and Tribology Department (1851) is to develop fundamental understanding of mechanical behavior of materials and to operationalize this understanding to resolve the engineering challenges facing Sandia's national security missions. The department has solved materials problems in Nuclear Deterrence (ND) applications ranging from routine material compatibility concerns to manufacturing scale issues. In addition to ND, the department also has a strong record of applying its resources to develop solutions for many challenges including hardening drill bits, lubricating satellite mechanisms, coating hypersonic rails, and even measuring the elasticity of eye corneas.

To address these and other challenges, the department is also heavily active in developing novel and emerging processing and characterization techniques. Current activities include the development of high-throughput and in-situ methods for mechanically testing additively-manufactured (AM) metals and tribological coatings, highly customized tribological testing, digital image correlation, failure and deformation under complex loading, stress mapping using photo-luminescence and Raman spectroscopy, tribology of nanocrystalline materials, ductile and brittle fracture mechanisms, and 3D characterization of microstructure and components with destructive serial sectioning and X-ray computed tomography. The department members collaborate heavily across organizations within Sandia in New Mexico and California and manage several multi-million-dollar programs which currently include the Brittle Material Assurance Prediction Program (BritMAPP) and Materials Margins Assurance (MMA). As a testament to their effectiveness, in 2015 and 2016, staff within the department were awarded a national Asian Engineer of the Year Award, a national Black Engineer of the Year Award, a Hispanic National Achievement Award, and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The department's technologists, postdocs, and staff have also been awarded several patents and intellectual property provisions.

Our team is committed to nurturing a culture compatible with a broad group of people and perspectives in accordance with the changing makeup of the workforce. In support of this vision, our center actively recruits applicants from diverse groups of backgrounds and fosters an inclusive community.

Join us and work towards your goals while making a difference!

About Sandia:

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 vacations, 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.

Security Clearance:

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.

EEO:

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.

Position Information:

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.

Job ID: 687410