Early Career Scientist - Focused-Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscopy, Onsite

Bidder Eligibility:

This Limited Term Employee (LTE) position is a temporary position for one year term, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to a maximum of seven years.

Individuals in LTE 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.

Level promotions (Member to Senior) may be permitted, but are not guaranteed, on this requisition.

Employees must remain in their current position for one year before applying for a new position, with the exception of student interns. Application of this requirement will not supersede collective bargaining agreements. See collective bargaining labor agreements for represented bidder eligibility requirements for represented employees.

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 vacations, 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 FIB/SEM microscopist to support and enhance materials science characterization, understanding, and capabilities. The successful staff member will utilize the FIB/SEM for TEM sample preparation, 3-D microscopy, and quantitative analytical techniques on a variety of materials systems (metal alloys, polymers, ceramics, electronic materials, etc.) of interest to national security and in support of Sandia’s enduring and emerging mission needs.

In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of our dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/scanning electron microscope (SEM) laboratory, the candidate will:

• Partner with a diverse set of staff members (engineers, theorists, and other experimentalists) at Sandia and other national laboratories to achieve research goals and secure research funding from our sponsors

• Develop novel FIB/SEM applications and techniques as needed

• Conduct work to further develop fundamental understanding of materials microstructure/property/performance relationships

• Share results via reports, conference talks, and peer-reviewed journal articles

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

• Conduct both collaborative and independent applied scientific research

• Demonstrate expertise and experience in fully operating FIB/SEM including sample preparation/ion-beam-based material removal and analytical electron microscopy techniques such as energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron-back scatter/transmission diffraction

• Continuously grow your network and improve your knowledge and expertise in ion-beam based sample preparation, electron beam characterization, and the technological developments that accompany those techniques with time

• Be responsible for maintaining a culture of engineered safety, support the development and documentation of safety systems used in laboratory activities that include operating procedures as well as technical work statements

• Advance our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of our advanced instruments and provide critical insights into material microstructure

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

Salary Range:

$113,600 - $221,100

*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 materials science or a related physical sciences/engineering field or eight years of equivalent experience in lieu of this degree

• Experience of skillful FIB operation including for TEM sample preparation that is documented on your CV

• Experience sharing your results through reports, presentations, and/or peer-reviewed journal publications that is documented on your CV

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q level security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

• Experience on a broad set of materials and/or applying a broad set of analytical capabilities to different problems

• Ability to support a broad number of projects in parallel with high quality

• Detailed understanding of microstructural features and defects and how those may influence the electrical/mechanical properties of materials

• Demonstrated interest in continuous professional growth through additional training, certification, and/or post-graduate educational opportunities

• Experience leading operations in a laboratory with multiple users and multiple jobs, such as safe work planning, job scheduling, inventory management, and sample/data archiving

• Proficiency with software packages for data acquisition and analysis

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 nanoporous materials (such as Metal Organic Frameworks and porous inorganic materials) for sensing, catalysis, energy harvesting, and gas storage; materials for energy and hydrogen storage in both the gaseous and solid state; thermoelectrics; and nanoscale materials characterization (including extensive electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nanoindentation instrumentation). This organization supports a broad set of large analytic equipment critical to the operations of the CA site. The department is a key element in a diverse set of Materials Science organizations and resources, managed both locally and across the corporation. We partner broadly with other personnel within Sandia and many external institutions, taking advantage of our proximity to other researchers and facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. The Microscopy Metallography team functions within the Energy Nanomaterials department and provides support for materials R&D and materials characterization services using metallographic sample preparation equipment and electron- and optical-based characterization methods.

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:

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.

Job ID: 693807

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F