Job Description

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 postdoctoral appointee to perform advanced electron microscope-based spectroscopic and imaging research and development of hydrogen storage and hydrogen production materials as part of the HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium (H2 AWSM, h2awsm.org) funded by DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. The successful candidate will contribute to progress of understanding the electronic structure, composition, and crystal structure changes that occur during oxidation and reduction of hydrogen generation electrode materials used in low-temperature electrolysis, high-temperature electrolysis, and solar thermochemical production of hydrogen. In particular, the successful candidate will utilize the probe-corrected, monochromated, 300kV FEI Titan Themis Z located at Sandia's California site to perform high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy characterization (EELS) and analysis to understand the electronic structure of material electrodes used for hydrogen generation.

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

• Lead in situ thermal reduction experiments inside the TEM and ex situ experiments on materials that have been thermochemically or electrochemically cycled
• Contribute other characterization and analysis methods including but not limited to x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and thermochemical characterization
• Work in a multidisciplinary environment that will provide opportunities for collaboration with specialists in a wide range of experimental techniques and materials modeling approaches and at different institutions that participate in the HydroGEN consortium
• Be responsible for conducting rigorous and innovative microscopic analyses, bringing deep materials expertise to the selected problems, and documenting research findings in the form of external, peer-reviewed journal publications

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite at the Sandia Livermore location.

Qualifications We Require:

• Ph.D. in materials science, chemistry, physics, materials engineering, or closely related field within the past 5 years
• A record of scientific research accomplishment, as demonstrated by authorship of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals that appear on your CV
• Experience applying transmission electron microscopy to the nanoscale analysis of materials
• The ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

• Experience using TEM and/or STEM for high-resolution and diffraction contrast imaging, diffraction, and chemical spectroscopies (e.g., EDS or EELS)
• Experience independently operating monochromated and aberration-corrected TEMs
• Experience in writing and documenting code for data analysis, particularly in applications for quantitative image and spectrum processing
• A fundamental understanding of electronic structure of materials and electron beam interactions
• Strong laboratory skills in TEM specimen preparation methods and in other materials characterization techniques
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Experience with electrochemical synthesis, electrochemical testing, and metal oxide electrode materials

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 for sensing, catalysis, energy harvesting, and gas storage; materials for energy and hydrogen storage; and nanoscale materials characterization including extensive electron microscopy, nano-mechanical instrumentation, 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:

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.

Position Information:

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.

Job ID: 692902

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.