Senior Technical Advisor — Photonic Materials Branch

Core4ce; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical insurance

Training & certifications

Tuition assistance

Parental leave

Paid time off

Innovation funding

Job summary

Core4ce seeks a Senior Technical Advisor to provide independent scientific, technical, and strategic guidance to the Photonic Materials Branch across 6.1–6.3 research and transition activities. You will shape early-stage opportunities and advise on investment areas to accelerate technology maturation.

The role demands leadership in technical writing, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning with a focus on photonic and optical materials, coatings, and related advanced technologies.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Active TS/SCI Clearance is required.
• PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, physics, chemistry, optics/photonics, engineering, or related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Advise the Photonic Materials Branch on opportunities, challenges, and investment areas.
• Identify fundamental questions, material-property gaps, and development pathways.
• Assess maturity, feasibility, risk, and transition potential of concepts and efforts.
• Support identification and maturation of 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, and related opportunities.
• Recommend approaches connecting foundational science to transition objectives.
• Identify opportunities leveraging government, labs, academia, and industry investments.
• Provide input on topics, needs statements, proposals, white papers, and planning materials.
• Recommend funding, sponsorship, collaboration, and transition paths when appropriate.
• Assist executive leadership with new or existing R&D opportunities.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Technical writing

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

PhD in materials science

Job description

The Senior Technical Advisor provides independent scientific, technical, and strategic advice to the Photonic Materials Branch in support of research, technology development, and transition activities. The advisor supports work across the science-and-technology continuum, including 6.1 basic research, 6.2 applied research, 6.3 advanced technology development, and related transition efforts, with added emphasis on identifying and shaping early-stage research opportunities.

Responsibilities:

• Advise the Photonic Materials Branch on scientific and technical opportunities, challenges, and potential investment areas.
• Identify fundamental scientific questions, material-property gaps, applied-research needs, candidate technologies, and potential development pathways.
• Provide independent technical assessments of the maturity, feasibility, risk, research value, and transition potential of candidate concepts and ongoing efforts.
• Support identification and maturation of 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, and related science-and-technology investment opportunities.
• Recommend approaches that connect foundational science, applied research, advanced technology development, demonstration, and transition objectives.
• Identify opportunities to leverage relevant Government, laboratory, academic, industry, and allied-partner investments.
• Provide technical input on research topics, needs statements, proposal concepts, white papers, technical pitches, and planning materials.
• Recommend potential funding, sponsorship, collaboration, and transition paths when appropriate.
• Assist executive leadership with new or existing R&D opportunities

This position is designed to be flexible, with responsibilities evolving to meet business needs and enable individual growth.

Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Active TS/SCI Clearance
• Ph.D. in materials science, chemical engineering, physics, chemistry, optics/photonics, engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive experience in scientific research, technology development, acquisition, or science-and-technology portfolio management.
• Demonstrated expertise in photonic materials, optical materials, thin films, coatings, advanced materials, aerospace technologies, or related technical fields.
• Demonstrated ability to assess technical concepts across research, development, demonstration, and transition activities.
• Experience supporting DoW, AFRL, Service laboratories, program offices, Headquarters organizations, or comparable Government science-and-technology stakeholders.
• Strong technical writing, communication, stakeholder-engagement, and strategic-planning skills.
• Experience with international science-and-technology cooperation, technology transition, or export-control coordination is preferred.

Why Work for Us?

Core4ce is a team of innovators, self-starters, and critical thinkers—driven by a shared mission to strengthen national security and advance warfighting outcomes.

We offer:

• 401(k) with 100% company match on the first 6% deferred, withimmediatevesting
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage—employee portion paid 100% by Core4ce
• Unlimitedaccess totrainingand certifications, with no pre-set cap on eligible professional development
• Tuition assistancefor job-related degrees and courses
• Paidparental leave, PTO that grows with tenure, and generous holiday schedules
• Got a big idea? At Core4ce, The Forge gives every employee the chance to propose bold innovations and help bring them to life with internal backing.

Join us to build a career that matters—supported by a company that invests in you.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, veteran status, age, genetic information, or other legally protected status.

*Core4ce provides the listed pay range for this position as a general guideline only and not as a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final offers may take into account a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, market data alignment, any applicable collective bargaining agreement, and other legal requirements.