Senior Staff Scientist-SIMS

Physical Electronics USA; Chanhassen (MN); On-site; USD 125,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays and vacation

Unlimited PTO

On-site gym

Medical and dental benefits

Employer paid life insurance

HSAs and retirement matching

Job summary

Physical Electronics USA is seeking a Senior Staff Scientist with extensive SIMS expertise to lead demonstrations, provide technical sales support, and drive application development within the Analytical Laboratory. The role combines hands-on analysis, training, marketing collaboration, and product strategy across domestic and international projects.

You will own the technical position on SIMS, contribute to customer-facing reports, and mentor junior staff while traveling up to 20% to support

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in SIMS or related surface analysis.
• Hands-on expertise in dynamic SIMS and TOF-SIMS.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to customers, sales teams, scientists, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with technical reports, presentations, or marketing content.
• Ability to travel approximately 20%, including domestic and international travel.

Responsibilities

• Own PHI's technical position on SIMS and customer-demonstrations; plan and perform product demonstrations with clear reports.
• Provide technical sales support throughout the sales cycle and respond to product questions.
• Prepare and deliver technical training for PHI customers and sales personnel.
• Create marketing materials highlighting SIMS capabilities and product differentiation.
• Conduct competitive analyses of SIMS technologies and market trends.
• Develop novel applications and analytical strategies for PHI instrumentation.
• Mentor junior staff and provide technical guidance as needed.

Skills

Dynamic SIMS

TOF-SIMS

Data analysis

Technical communication

Training development

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or related field

Master’s degree with significant relevant experience

Tools

SIMS instrumentation

Data analysis software

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Senior Staff Scientist-SIMS

Full-time Regular Professional Chanhassen, MN, US

5 days ago Requisition ID: 1057

Salary Range: $125,000.00 To $140,000.00 Annually

Are you the SIMS expert colleagues turn to when the data is complex, the application is challenging, or the customer needs a clear technical answer?

Do you want to influence how advanced surface analysis solutions are demonstrated, positioned, and applied across high-impact industries?

Are you excited by a role that blends hands-on analytical science, technical sales support, customer engagement, application development, and product strategy?

PHI is seeking a dynamic and technically skilled Senior Staff Scientist with experience in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to join our Analytical Laboratory team. In this role, the scientist will serve as a technical leader in dynamic, static, and time-of-flight (TOF) SIMS for the company, providing advanced guidance and expertise for customer demonstrations, technical sales support, training, marketing, product feedback, plus method and strategic application development. PHI is a subsidiary of ULVAC-PHI, a leading supplier of high-performance ultra-high vacuum surface analysis instrumentation, with an instrument portfolio that includes X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).

• Own PHI's technical position on the SIMS competitive landscape, market trends, and emerging industry applications, serving as the internal technical authority and external voice on SIMS capabilities, positioning, and differentiation.
• Take ownership of the demonstration portion of the sales process: plan and perform customer instrument demonstrations, including sample strategy, data acquisition and interpretation, plus preparation of clear technical reports that communicate both analytical results and PHI instrument advantages.
• Provide technical sales support throughout the sales cycle, including responses to product questions, application feasibility assessments, tender documentation, and customer-facing technical discussions.
• Prepare and deliver technical training for PHI customers and sales personnel, including development of training materials and application-focused content.
• Create and contribute to marketing materials, including product literature, presentations, application notes, research publications, and conference content that highlight PHI SIMS capabilities and product differentiation.
• Conduct competitive product analyses, including evaluation of technical performance, application strengths, and market trends.
• Develop novel applications and analytical strategies that demonstrate the value of PHI instrumentation across advanced materials,
• Identify emerging applications, including customer requirements that may lead to competitive advantage through internal development or external collaboration.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior staff, when appropriate.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field preferred with 7+ years of experience; Master’s degree considered with significant relevant experience.
• Hands-on expertise in dynamic SIMS and TOF-SIMS instrumentation, applications, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Démonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to customers, sales teams, scientists, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing technical reports, presentations, training materials, publications, or marketing content.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with sales, marketing, product development, R&D, customer service, and international teams.
• Experience supporting customer demonstrations, technical sales activities, application development, or product development is strongly preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20%, including domestic and international travel.

What we offer

• Employees enjoy paid holidays and vacation, as well as an unlimited PTO benefit to help balance work, life, and everything in between.
• Department hosted lunches.
• Employee-led wellness activities.
• On-site gym.
• Employer contribution to H.S.A.
• Safe-harbor 401k contributions.
• Medical, dental and employer paid life insurance benefits are available.
• Student tuition reimbursement.
• Ongoing education and training opportunities.
• Employer matched charitable contributions are also available to employees.

Physical Electronics is an equal opportunity employer.

Physical Electronics USA is an Affirmitive Action employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees according to all applicable equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, directives and regulations of federal, state and local governing bodies and agencies. In keeping with this commitment, Physical Electronics USA will recruit and hire the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, disability, age, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam era, special disabled, or other covered veteran.