Senior/Principal Materials Scientist - Metal Advanced Manufacturing, Onsite

About the role

The Advanced Metals Processing team at Sandia National Laboratories drives transformative solutions to complex materials challenges that directly support the Nuclear Security Enterprise. We develop next-generation manufacturing processes that redefine the state-of-the-art in metal fabrication.

Responsibilities

• Drive materials selection and develop manufacturing processes for advanced metallic hardware.
• Design and execute test plans to evaluate mechanical and physical properties of metal alloys.
• Partner with technicians and interdisciplinary teams to design, optimize, and execute experiments for process development.
• Lead customer engagements and pursue funding opportunities to advance additive manufacturing projects.
• Present research findings at technical conferences and communicate results to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide expert guidance on equipment, capabilities, and emerging technologies.
• Manage the safe and efficient operation of our metal additive manufacturing lab, ensuring all equipment meets operational and safety standards.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Materials Science or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement.
• Experience in a research and development environment.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques.
• Experience working on teams consisting of multidisciplinary and multi-disciplinary experimentalists, modelers, and theorists with a common goal.
• Effective interpersonal skills for giving presentations, preparing reports, writing articles, and explaining the important aspects of technical work to customers.
• Hands-on experience with metal additive manufacturing processes and associated tools.
• PhD in materials science, metallurgical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related STEM field.
• Expertise in failure analysis and fractography using advanced techniques such as SEM/EDS, FTIR, and DSC.
• Proven experience in part and process qualification, including production of metal additive manufacturing parts.
• Proficiency with statistical process control (SPC) methods.
• Hands-on knowledge of post-processing equipment for AM parts (e.g., wire EDM, surface grinders, metrology tools).
• Familiarity with GCode, CNC machining, and tool path generation.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a passion for driving innovation in advanced technologies.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of clearly conveying complex technical concepts.
• Experience mentoring and developing team members to foster success.
• Commitment to quality, safety, teamwork, and collaborative problem-solving.

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements including 9/80 and 4/10 compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting.
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance, and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance.

Pay

$117,500 - $235,700 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.

Schedule

Onsite 100% of the time.