Postdoctoral Fellow – Advanced Reactor Core Materials

U.S. Fusion Energy; Oak Ridge (NC); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Oak Ridge, TN, to advance understanding of degradation phenomena in nuclear reactor materials. The role emphasizes strong materials characterization using SEM, EBSD, TEM, and optical microscopy, with collaboration across experimentalists and computational scientists.

The successful candidate will correlate irradiation conditions to material performance, work within the FCCI group, and contribute to publications and

Qualifications

• PhD in materials science, nuclear, or mechanical engineering completed within the past 5 years.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, presentation, and writing).
• All degree requirements must be completed prior to start date.

Responsibilities

• Characterize materials using optical microscopy, SEM, EBSD, and TEM for microstructure analysis.
• Correlate irradiation conditions to post-irradiation performance of materials.
• Coordinate with hot-cell personnel to collect post-irradiation mechanical property data.
• Publish research results in peer‑reviewed journals in a timely manner.

Skills

Materials characterization

Python (numpy, scipy, pandas)

Communication skills

Independent worker

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in materials science, nuclear, or mechanical engineering

Tools

SEM

EBSD

TEM

Optical microscopy

FIB

Job description

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Oak Ridge, TN, to advance understanding of degradation phenomena in nuclear reactor materials. The role emphasizes strong materials characterization using SEM, EBSD, TEM, and optical microscopy, with collaboration across experimentalists and computational scientists.

The successful candidate will correlate irradiation conditions to material performance, work within the FCCI group, and contribute to publications and