Postdoctoral Appointee, Dynamic Material Properties - Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Relocation assistance

Generous vacation

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM invites applications for a POSTDOCTORAL APPOINTEE to advance dynamic materials properties research. You will apply existing capabilities, develop new diagnostics, define experiments with customers, and collaborate with scientists on high-energy density science.

This onsite position emphasizes leadership in project teams, PI responsibilities, and cutting‑edge work at the Z facility and related labs.

Qualifications

• Publications in journals demonstrating technical expertise.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.
• Experience collaborating in cross‑disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Apply existing capabilities and develop new capabilities and diagnostics.
• Define experiments with customers to meet scientific objectives.
• Collaborate with internal and external scientists on dynamic material properties research.
• Lead teams and participate as a key member of cutting‑edge research groups.

Skills

Publications in journals

DOE clearance eligible

Education

PhD in physical sciences or engineering

Bachelor's in STEM

Job description

Albuquerque, NM

Full-Time

Temporary

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 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.

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking a POSTDOCTORAL APPOINTEE

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

• Apply existing capabilities, develop new capabilities, and develop and field novel diagnostics.
• Advance department initiatives, work with customers to define experiments that meet scientific objectives.
• Collaborate with internal and external scientists on research in the broad areas of dynamic material properties and high energy density science.
• Lead teams, act as principal investigator, and participate as a key member of teams performing research at the cutting edge of the application of high-pressure physics.

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

Qualifications We Require

• Possess, or are pursuing, a PhD in the physical sciences, engineering, material science or a closely related field and have a bachelor's in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)
  • PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.
• Technical competency in one or more of the following areas as demonstrated through publications in journals: Shock physics, high energy density physics, high-pressure physics, high speed diagnostics, geophysics, or material science
• Able to acquire and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

Qualifications We Desire

• Excellent written and oral communication skills as demonstrated through technical publications and presentations
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment
• Experience with experimentation involving activity level work such as: diamond anvil cells, high-voltage systems, pulsed power drivers, laser diagnostics, x-ray sources, or gas guns
• Experience with diagnostic instrumentation such as laser interferometry (VISAR and/or PDV), streak and/or framing cameras, digitizers, x-ray diffraction, pyrometry, or spectrometers
• Working knowledge of Matlab or other scientific computing script

About Our Team

The Dynamic Materials Properties Department at Sandia National Laboratories (Department 1646) performs experimental measurements of dynamic material properties at high pressures, including material's equations of state, phase boundaries, and constitutive properties. Experiments are performed with a variety of drivers, from high velocity gas guns to the most powerful pulsed-power facility in the world, the 26 million ampere Z facility. The focus of the department is dynamic material properties experiments using both high-pressure shock waves and shockless compression. A particularly exciting area of emerging interest is the study of material properties in regions of phase space that are both off-Hugoniot and off the principal isentrope. The department is responsible for designing, executing, diagnosing, and analyzing dynamic materials properties experiments on the Z facility, and at Sandia National Laboratories' Dynamic Integrated Compression Experimental (DICE) and Shock Thermodynamic Applied Research (STAR) facilities.

Posting Duration

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.

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.

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.