Post Doctorate RA - ME - Power Systems Materials Manufacturing

About the role

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Integrated Discovery Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

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.

The Applied Materials and Manufacturing (AMM) Group in EP&M Division at PNNL is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to lead experimental process development for power systems materials such as conductors and magnets. The position will develop operating conditions and process envelopes for power system materials with enhanced performance enabled by advanced manufacturing platforms such as shear/friction extrusion, friction stir welding/forging, friction stir additive manufacturing and cold spray. The engineer will collaborate with process engineers, manufacturing experts and materials researchers to translate experimental findings into documented operating recommendations based on material. The successful candidate will build a technical specialization in thermomechanical process development and contribute to research planning and publications.

Responsibilities

• Design experiments to evaluate operating parameters, tooling designs, manufacturing configurations and feedstock conditions using statistical experimental design where appropriate.
• Design tooling using CAD and coordinate their development with external or internal manufacturing facilities/vendors.
• Investigate process stability, and product quality to develop frameworks for operational controls.
• Develop process windows and document the evidence, limitations, and repeatability supporting recommended conditions.
• Work with process engineers to design and deploy digital twin technologies that integrate physics-based models, real-time operational data, and advanced analytics to improve manufacturing performance and resilience.
• Communicate results through technical summaries, project reports, conference presentations, journal articles and other technical manuscripts.

Qualifications

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.
• Experience with friction stir welding, metal extrusion, metal drawing, rolling, friction extrusion, or related solid-phase processing technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in experimental manufacturing, metal forming, or thermomechanical processing, with particular experience with shear-assisted process extrusion.
• Experience planning controlled experiments and analyzing quantitative process and materials data.
• Familiarity with instrumentation, process data acquisition, and evaluation of experimental uncertainty.
• Ability to document technical findings and collaborate across engineering, materials science, and operations.
• Experience with mechanical design, tooling design and CAD.
• Hands-on experience commissioning or developing processes on research or pilot equipment.
• Publications or demonstrated research contributions in manufacturing process development.

Benefits

• 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, fertility support
• Company-funded pension plan (automatic enrollment)
• 401(k) savings plan with company match
• Up to 120 vacation hours per year
• Ten paid holidays per year

Research Associates excluded. All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.

Pay

Minimum Salary: USD $69,000.00/Yr. Maximum Salary: USD $119,100.00/Yr. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual's relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. PNNL does not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire.