Materials Scientist (Scientist 1/2)

Materials Scientist (Scientist 1/2) Req.

Number:

IRC143499

Organization :

PSS-2/Operational Safety & Compliance Programs

City, State:

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Recruiter Name:

Daniel, Sumpter Tyler (Tyler)

Recruiter Email:

sdaniel@lanl.gov What You Will Do Los Alamos National Laboratory is currently seeking a scientist to design and execute advanced workflows for the characterization of nuclear material storage containers across multiple modalities. This role involves applying techniques such as microscopy, electrochemistry, and data analysis to generate high-quality insights that support mission objectives. The successful candidate will develop and maintain rigorous experimental protocols for sample preparation, instrument calibration, and data acquisition to ensure reproducibility and data integrity. Responsibilities include operating and integrating advanced instrumentation-such as optical and confocal microscopy, electrochemical workstations, and chemical analysis systems-to enable multi-scale, multi-physics materials characterization. This position requires close collaboration with computational scientists and engineers to connect experimental results with modeling, simulation, and data-driven analysis efforts. Additional duties include maintaining laboratory instrumentation, troubleshooting experimental systems, and ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and documentation standards. The candidate will document and communicate findings through technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations, contributing to the advancement of materials characterization and nuclear materials research.

Salary Range:

Scientist 1: $96,600 to $158,000 Scientist 2: 106,400 to $176,000 #shiftwork What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

For full consideration, applicants must submit a comprehensive cover letter and resume that addresses the key requirements of the position below. Education/Experience for Scientist 1: Position requires a Bachelor's d degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 2 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. Education/Experience for Scientist 2: Positions requires a Bachelor' degree in a STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience, typically with post-doctoral research experience at a university or national lab or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation. Scientist 1:

Experimental Expertise:

Hands-on experience designing and conducting experiments in one or more of the following areas: microscopy (electron, optical, or scanning probe), electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy), chemical analysis (Raman), or materials characterization. Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex experimental systems.

Instrumentation Proficiency:

Experience operating and maintaining advanced laboratory instrumentation. Ability to develop calibration routines, ensure data quality, and optimize experimental setups for reliability and repeatability.

Materials Science Knowledge:

Strong foundation in materials science, chemistry, physics, or a related field, with understanding of structure-property relationships and material behavior under varying environmental or operational conditions.

Data & Analysis Skills:

Experience analyzing experimental data using scientific computing tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or similar). Familiarity with statistical analysis, signal processing, or image analysis techniques is desirable.

Laboratory Operations & Safety:

Knowledge of laboratory safety protocols, experimental documentation practices, and quality assurance procedures. Ability to manage multiple experiments and maintain organized lab workflows.

Teamwork:

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Communication:

Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical findings to diverse audiences. Scientist 2: In addition to all the Scientist 1 Job requirements. Proven ability to develop abstracts, testing, and performance optimization. Experience with robust experimental protocols for sample preparation, instrument calibration, and data acquisition to ensure high-quality, reproducible measurements. Develop Scope for tasks and goals under defined project milestones and complete relevant to customer needs. Lead business and technical discussions with customers. Engage in scientific community including created/participation in professional societies, presentations at conferences, and meetings. Actively participates in proposal development and mentoring of students.

Desired Qualifications:

A degree in Material Science or Chemistry. Experience integrating multiple characterization techniques to study complex material systems. Familiarity with in situ or operando experimental methods. Experience working in national laboratory, DOE, or large-scale research environments. Background in correlating experimental results with computational modeling or simulation. Record of scientific publications or contributions to collaborative research projects. Experience with automated or high-throughput experimentation workflows. An active DOE Q-level clearance.

Work Location:

The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Work Schedule:

This position may/will require 24/7 coverage, which could/will involve working a shift/weekend schedule. Employees may be eligible for the shift differential pay when assigned by their manager. Shift/weekend assignments are at the discretion of the manager.

Position Commitment:

Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year. Note to

Applicants:

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory. Where You Will Work Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security.

Our generous benefits package includes:

PPO or High-Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network Dental and Vision insurance Free basic life and disability insurance Paid childbirth and parental leave Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually) Learning opportunities and tuition assistance Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays) Onsite gyms and wellness programs Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50-mile radius) Additional Details Directive 206.2: Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

Clearance:

Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government and must meet eligibility requirements• for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad. •Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

New-Employment Drug Test:

The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Regular Position:

Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants:

Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.