Senior Scientist - Beamline Scientist

About the role

Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Our MISSION is to help ensure the security of the United States and its allies by providing high-hazard experimentation and incident response capabilities through operations, engineering, education, field, and integration services and by acting as environmental stewards to the Site’s Cold War legacy. Our VISION is to be the user site of choice for large-scale, high-hazard, national security experimentation, with premier facilities and capabilities below ground, on the ground, and in the air.

Responsibilities

• Devise imaginative, thorough, and practical solutions requiring evaluation of standards and processes. Solutions may be unique.
• Perform technical and professional level tasks such as providing routine maintenance and ensuring operational readiness of beamline(s).
• Support and train all experimenters/users in beamline operations, end station use, safety, etc., in conformance with NNSS and SSRL guidelines.
• Jointly with the NMT, craft and update beamline documentation, training materials, electronic information, and status summaries suitable for frequent online publication, regular beamline activity reports to share with NMT, and supporting documentation for DOE review.
• Evaluate user experiments and help develop sound work plans for execution at the beamlines.
• Provide logistics support and configure beamlines for user experiments and support beamline operations during experiments as needed. Provide beamline improvements and support to upgrades, especially to take advantage of shutdown periods scheduled by SSRL for facility maintenance and upgrades.
• Evaluate new technologies and processes within the field and develop or modify current practices and procedures for implementation at the beamlines.
• Evaluate and develop necessary work plans for implementation of current or new operations in support of NNSS mission.
• Support work activities by attending planning meetings, workshops, etc.
• Participate in and foster a work environment that is based upon openness, trust, communication, teamwork, empowerment, innovation, and satisfaction.
• Comply with established ES&H regulations and procedures and perform duties in a way that will not cause personal danger, endanger other individuals, or violate environmental regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in calculus-based technical (STEM) field plus at least 5 years relevant experience.
• Experience with the use and operations of synchrotron beamlines highly desired.
• Must possess experience in X-ray optics, X-ray beamline diagnostics and systems, high vacuum systems and motion controls, and LabVIEW and or EPICS control software.
• Candidate should be self-motivated and able to complete assigned tasks with minimal supervision to achieve NMT goals.
• Strong time-management skills, be well organized, and maintain safe work habits.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a willingness to work with professionals in diverse technical areas and levels.
• Must have experience working with X-ray physicists and researchers.
• Must possess planning/organizing skills and be capable of employing independent judgment and knowledge to ensure that requirements are completed efficiently and on time.
• Ability to effectively deal with pressures of deadlines and multiple tasks.
• Experience leading a team environment that includes scientists, engineers, technicians, and designers and places an emphasis on continuous improvement.
• Must be able to execute work in a disciplined manner to demonstrate compliance with laws, codes, orders, and MSTS policies and procedures.

Skills

• Devising imaginative, thorough, and practical solutions requiring evaluation of standards and processes.
• Providing routine maintenance and ensuring operational readiness of beamline(s).
• Supporting and training experimenters/users in beamline operations, end station use, safety, etc.
• Crafting and updating beamline documentation, training materials, electronic information, and status summaries.
• Evaluating user experiments and developing sound work plans for execution at the beamlines.
• Providing logistics support and configuring beamlines for user experiments and supporting beamline operations during experiments.
• Evaluating new technologies and processes within the field and developing or modifying current practices and procedures.
• Evaluating and developing necessary work plans for implementation of current or new operations in support of NNSS mission.
• Attending planning meetings, workshops, and fostering a work environment based on openness, trust, communication, teamwork, empowerment, innovation, and satisfaction.
• Complying with established ES&H regulations and performing duties in a way that does not cause personal danger, endanger others, or violate environmental regulations.