Lead Scientist

SLAC; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park seeks a MEC Department Head to lead high energy‑density science activities within the LCLS complex. You will shape the MEC strategy, coordinate with six aligned departments, and advance the laboratory’s IFE‑related research program.

The role requires visionary science leadership, collaboration with DOE offices, and the ability to align MEC’s capabilities with SLAC’s broader mission in extreme conditions, fusion energy science, and laser‑driven

Job description

Position overview

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is an internationally preeminent science facility, operated by Stanford University at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on behalf of the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science. This facility provides world-leading scientific capabilities to a global user community, covering a very broad research portfolio that includes the investigation of advanced materials and chemical catalysts for clean energy systems, drug discovery for modern pharmaceuticals, and fundamental studies of extreme states of matter.

This is a pivotal time for LCLS, and a rare opportunity to shape the scientific nature and direction of the facility. We have entered the LCLS‑II era, a new accelerator complex that will increase the X‑ray repetition rate and average power of the facility by up to 4 orders of magnitude. A subsequent upgrade to enable the delivery of high energy X-rays (LCLS‑II‑HE) is also underway, opening the study of rare, transient, and heterogeneous systems with atomic spatial resolution and femtosecond precision.

The Science Research and Development (SRD) division at LCLS comprises six departments, each aligned to a major research area (Bioscience, Material Science, Chemical Science, Atomic, Molecular and Optical (AMO) Science, Laser Science, and Matter in Extreme Conditions), to enable an integrated approach to scientific exploitation of LCLS. This posting is for the MEC Department Head; the opening comes at an important time for the field. MEC combines the unique hard X‑ray capabilities of LCLS with high‑energy laser drivers to create and probe matter at extreme temperatures and pressures. This enables research across a broad scientific landscape including high energy‑density science, laboratory astrophysics, plasma physics, shock‑driven material science, and fundamental studies of warm dense matter. MEC is operated with funding from both the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), reflecting its position at the intersection of fundamental high energy‑density science and applied fusion energy research.

The field of high energy‑density science is experiencing rapid growth, driven in particular by the national imperative toward inertial fusion energy (IFE). With fusion ignition demonstrated and significant momentum building across the public and private sectors, there is an urgent need for precision measurements of plasmas and material properties and components at fusion‑relevant conditions. LCLS, coupled with next‑generation high‑power laser drivers, offers a unique national platform for this science; it can provide high‑fidelity validation of target physics, laser‑matter coupling, and materials behavior that is not available elsewhere. The MEC Department Head will play a central role in defining SLAC's engagement with the IFE community and the broader DOE Fusion Energy Roadmap, while continuing to advance the full breadth of MEC's high energy‑density science mission. MEC is a vital element of SLAC's broader High Energy Density Science and Technology (HED S&T) initiative, and the Department Head will contribute to this laboratory‑wide effort by ensuring that MEC's scientific strategy and capabilities are aligned with its goals.

The MEC Department Head will develop an LCLS vision and strategy for high energy‑density science at