Bidder Eligibility:

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment. Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.

Employees, excluding student interns, must remain in their current position for one year from their hire date before bidding on a new job. However, the hiring manager may obtain approval to consider a candidate before the one-year requirement is met via the review process. This approval must be secured prior to being interviewed for a posted position. The application of this requirement will not supersede collective bargaining agreements. Please refer to the collective bargaining labor agreements for eligibility requirements for represented bidders.

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 researcher to probe hydrogen effects in metals and compositionally complex metal alloys, with an emphasis on hydrogen generation and storage. The selected applicant will design and develop novel materials for chemical and electrochemical hydrogen conversion reactions. Synthesis and characterization of new materials by surface analysis tools and various electrochemistry techniques will be required. A special emphasis will be on structural refinements using X-ray crystallography, neutron diffraction, and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. This work will lead to the potential for publications in chemistry/materials journals as well as applications in projects with national security missions. This research aims to enable rational design of hydrogen-rich materials by changing the chemical composition and local atomic arrangements in crystalline or amorphous configurations. The focus is on understanding processes governing hydrogen interactions with materials, effects of (electro)chemical interfaces, as well mass and thermal transport phenomena. The successful candidate will be supported by and will collaborate with a large multidisciplinary team, working closely with experts in computational modeling, systems engineering, advanced characterization and artificial intelligence/data science to accelerate hydrogen materials discovery. These research activities have high visibility both nationally and internationally, thus successful candidates require strong presentation and writing skills.

On any given day, you will:

• Design and conduct custom laboratory experiments to understand process/structure/property/performance relationships
• Collaborate with a diverse team of fellow experimentalists, as well as engineers, theoreticians, machine learning experts, and others
• Share research findings with the wider scientific community in conferences and peer-reviewed publications

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

Qualifications We Require:

The following must be well-documented on your CV for consideration:

• A recent doctorate in chemistry, metallurgy, materials science, or related field with a strong emphasis on synthesis of new materials and alloys and their structural characterization;
• A record of scientific research accomplishment, as demonstrated by authorship of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals;
• Direct, hands-on experience with synthesis (e.g. alloy development via arc melting or casting and/or air-sensitive chemistry such as glove-box techniques);
• Experience with characterization techniques (e.g. spectroscopy, diffraction, electron microscopy, or electrochemistry).

Qualifications We Desire:

Ideal candidates will also have knowledge and experience in some-or-all of the following:

• Familiarity with advanced characterization techniques, such as neutron methods, Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering, XPS, TEM, solid-state NMR;
• Experience with materials-based hydrogen storage/separations or electrochemical methods;
• Particularly high technical achievement and the ability to conduct creative, independent research.

About Our Team:

The Energy Nanomaterials Department is a research organization specializing in the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for energy and national security applications. Projects and capabilities in the department's research portfolio include maturation of additively-manufactured metallic alloys; the formulation, synthesis, and characterization of materials for energy and hydrogen storage; and nanoscale materials characterization including extensive electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment. Under federal law, citizens and agents of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation are generally prohibited from accessing Sandia National Laboratories. Accordingly, such individuals will not be considered for employment unless they are citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States.

If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. 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.

Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract. All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.

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.

Job ID: 695928

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F