Post Doctorate RA - Friction Stir Welding and Additive

Overview

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation's biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation's power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy's goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage. We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization.

Responsibilities

Are you interested in advancing the state of the art for friction stir-based welding and additive? The Applied Materials and Manufacturing Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is seeking a post doctorate research associate to support research in friction stir welding and additive of elevated temperature and composite materials. This position requires someone who wants to be "hands on" with machinery and develop industrially relevant processes to generate materials with specific microstructure. Applicants should have a strong background in friction stir manufacturing process development and working knowledge of materials science so that they can work with a diverse team of experts to develop and optimize processes that meet specific material properties and design requirements. The incumbent will contribute to the development and application of high-performance materials and innovative processing approaches, supporting business lines associated with defense applications, power generation, nuclear systems, and other markets where improvements in materials performance and energy efficiency are of interest to the Department of Energy and other clients.

The incumbent will:

• Research, plan, design, and conduct experiments involving solid phase processing methods and other specialty processing or testing systems.
• Contribute to or lead efforts to design or modify tools, fixtures, and machinery to achieve project directives.
• Collaborate with others to develop individual steps and combined processes for manufacturing composite materials as well as finishing, treating, and strengthening them.
• Collaborate with others to conduct structural characterization (XRD, SEM, EDS, EBSD, and TEM) and mechanical property evaluation (hardness, tensile, and fatigue), and relate microstructure and properties of materials to operating conditions and external factors.
• Document the results in reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five years (60 months) or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in friction stir related technologies.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing process related machinery.
• Ability to design or modify friction stir tools, fixturing, and equipment to support process development.
• Expertise in interpretation and the subsequent analysis of characterization data.
• Internships or other experience in industrial organizations.
• Strong team player and an ability to conduct independent and inter-dependent research.
• Ability to provide innovative solutions.
• Appropriate analytic, task management, and communication skills (both oral and written) to clearly articulate research objectives and outcomes.
• Ability to perform work with the level of quality and timeliness to meet required project and client expectations.

Additional Information

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
• Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP). Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.

Benefits

Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401(k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.

*Research Associates excluded. All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.

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