Postdoctoral Appointee - Accelerated Materials Discovery

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:

• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Generous vacations, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*
• 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)
• Extraordinary co-workers

The Materials Characterization and Performance Department is seeking an R&D Postdoctoral Appointee supporting development of high-throughput synthesis and characterization of novel nanoparticle inks and electronic devices, as well as advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to efficiently design and control experiments, analyze data and optimize materials.

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

• Develop scripts for the processing of raw data to formats compatible with machine learning algorithms.
• Design and/or adapt machine learning algorithms for process-structure-property-performance correlation building and autonomous materials discovery.
• Develop new high-throughput and autonomous materials characterization capabilities.
• Communicate results through high impact journals as well as through conference presentations.
• Design data management architectures for materials characterization data.

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

• PhD, conferred within the past five years, in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field
• Significant experience in the synthesis of nanoparticles and/or development of ‘self-driving’ laboratories
• Record of technical achievement as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q Security Clearance

• Familiarity with statistical and deep machine learning methods (Bayesian frameworks, active/reinforcement learning) and their application to the physical sciences
• Ability to work in a multifunctional team of scientists with a broad range of backgrounds
• Experience with materials characterization techniques such as (UV/VIS, SEM, XRD, XRF, XPS, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience with Python and/or other scientific programming languages (MATLAB, R, etc.)
• A genuine scientific curiosity and passion for contributing towards answering ‘big questions’ in science and engineering

The Materials Characterization & Performance Department supports Sandia by developing and applying a breadth of analytical techniques to assess the structure, composition, and properties of materials. We serve our customers by helping them understand material behavior and performance, develop improved materials for specific components and applications, as well as develop lifetime performance predictions for materials. By applying a breadth of techniques, including spectroscopic and diffraction techniques, light and electron microscopy, metallography, surface analysis, chemical analysis, and contaminant analysis, we provide materials understanding and solutions for: engineering components and structures, failure analysis of all types of materials, and research projects across a wide customer base. We serve the entire corporation in their material analysis needs and frequently other federal agencies and industry. We also act as a gateway to materials characterization capabilities within and outside of Sandia. We take pride in owning, maintaining and utilizing to the fullest extent the best instrumentation available anywhere.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.