Senior/Principal Integrated Photonic Scientist/Engineer, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 118,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, seeks an Integrated Photonic Scientist/Engineer with emphasis in silicon photonics to advance research and development for national security missions, including communications, sensing, and quantum computing.

You will lead design, simulation, fabrication, and testing of photonic devices, mentor staff, publish results, and interact with internal and external partners while onsite at Sandia's Photonic and Phononic Microsystems Department.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with five years of directly relevant experience, or equivalent; capable of independent R&D.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Perform research and analysis in photonic devices and microsystems, including design, fabrication, and testing.
• Develop and execute test plans, objectives, and metrics for lab experiments.
• Lead R&D tasks, directing staff to milestones and deliverables.
• Generate presentations and reports for management and sponsors.
• Collaborate with internal/external partners across institutions.

Skills

Silicon photonics

Integrated photonics

Test & measurement

Research leadership

Design simulation

Grant/proposal writing

Team mentoring

Presentation skills

Documentation

DOE/DOD clearance

Education

PhD in a relevant discipline

Post-PhD research experience

Tools

GDSFactory

KLayout

Job description

Location

Albuquerque, NM

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 an Integrated Photonic Scientist/Engineer with an emphasis in silicon photonics technologies to join the Photonic and Phononic Microsystems Department at Sandia, leading and supporting development and evaluation of novel photonic technologies for Sandia's national security missions including communications, sensing, and advanced computing such as quantum and neuromorphic computing.

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

• Perform research and analysis in innovative photonic devices and microsystems, including simulation, design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of photonic devices and systems
• Develop and execute test and evaluation plans including objectives and metrics, procedures, modeling efforts, and lab experiments
• Identify technology and performance gaps from device and system perspectives for different national security related applications.
• Lead and support R&D tasks, directing post-docs, students, and other staff members to achieve milestones and deliverables.
• Generate presentations and detailed reports on project results to management and sponsors.
• Engage and interact closely with internal and external research partners, industry and government customers and sponsor (across multiple institutions).
• As applicable, generate new intellectual property through patent filing and report new findings in top-tier journals and conferences.

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

Salary Range

$117,500 - $235,700

*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.

Qualifications We Require

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D Electrical Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
• Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• PhD degree in a relevant discipline and at least six (6) years of directly relevant post-PhD experience in a research laboratory environment, which may include a post doctoral appointment (university or national lab), and/or research staff role in an industry or national laboratories setting
• Strong history of innovation, developing new concepts and solutions, novice devices, and applications of technology
• Experience in successful research program development (identifying technology gaps, customer engagement, developing value proposition, proposal writing, and securing funding) and project execution (developing project plans, leading an R&D team, delivering results according to plan).
• Proven ability to perform original research, demonstrated through a record of invention, original publications in top-tier journals, and conference papers and presentations.
• Expertise in a variety of passive and active integrated silicon photonic devices such as splitters, couplers, tapers, ring resonators, pulse shaper, electro-optic modulators, optical combs, photo detectors, etc.
• Experience in mask design using scripting and commercial software (ex. GDSFactory, KLayout) for photonic devices
• Knowledge of microfabrication process and device fabrication challenges
• Knowledge of semiconductor physics, optical materials (such as SiN, Si, SiO2:Ge, lithium niobate, barium titanate, etc.), nonlinear optics, nano-optomechanics, heterogeneous integration, and/or related topics
• Familiarity with Quantum photonic experiments, such as time correlated single photon measurements (g2 and Hong-Ou-Mandel experiments) at cryogenic temperatures
• Knowledgeable in linear optical quantum computing, including measurement based or fusion based quantum computing. Understanding of frequency-encoded qubit systems is a plus.
• Expertise in one of more photonic applications such as, quantum computing, sensing, and networking, RF signal process, neuromorphic computing, and data communications with a combination of device and system perspectives.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment while managing multiple tasks concurrently, alongside project leadership and management skills that encompass reporting, budgeting, directing and mentoring team members, and ensuring milestones and deliverables are met, complemented by strong presentation, writing, and communication abilities.
• Active DOE or DOD clearance; active SCI clearance.

About Our Team

The Photonic and Phononic Microsystems Department develops and matures state of the art photonic and phononic technologies for a variety of national security purposes. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers innovates, develops, and applies novel technologies including silicon photonics, nanophotonics, optomechanics, optical metamaterials, plasmonics, optical detectors, guided wave optics, phononic and thermoelectric technologies, spanning fundamental research to path-finding engineering solutions. In the last 10 years, the Photonic and Phononic Microsystems Department has generated numerous world-firsts, high-impact publications/journal covers and received 70+ patents, multiple R&D 100 awards, and significant DARPA/DOD/DOE funding award.

For more information, check out our website at Sandia's National Security Photonics Center (https://www.sandia.gov/mesa/nspc/)

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.