Sigma-Process Modeling Post-Doctoral Research Associate

What You Will Do

Sigma Division is seeking postdoctoral candidates to develop and apply computational models for manufacturing process development, optimization, materials compatibility, and lifetime prediction. This position supports a broad range of metals and materials processing efforts, with a primary emphasis on casting, heat treatment, thermal‑mechanical distortion, and process‑structure‑property relationships. The successful candidate will work with a mentor and interdisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, technicians, and technologists to build predictive models, validate those models against experimental data, and translate results into actionable guidance for Los Alamos National Laboratory mission programs.

• Metal casting, solidification dynamics, and heat‑transfer‑driven process behavior
• Casting and heat‑treatment distortion, residual stress, and thermal‑mechanical deformation
• Mass transfer, fluid flow, gas‑solid interactions, and diffusion modeling
• Heat treatment response, microstructure evolution, thermodynamics, and kinetics
• Electrochemical forming, etching, corrosion, and related materials compatibility phenomena
• Coupling of computational simulation with experimental process data for model validation and process optimization

The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to help guide the technical direction of their project with their mentor, conduct independent research in small teams, communicate results, and support the handoff of validated models to future applications.

• Experience developing, implementing, and validating computational simulation models for materials, manufacturing processes, or coupled physical phenomena.
• Experience with multiphysics, finite element, molecular dynamics, CFD, or related process modeling tools such as Abaqus, ANSYS, COMSOL, STAR‑CCM+, Flow3D, OpenFOAM, MOOSE, LAMMPS, MATLAB, Python‑based simulation workflows, or comparable software.
• Programming or scripting experience, preferably with Python, C++, Java, MATLAB, or a comparable language.
• Technical knowledge relevant to heat transfer, solidification, diffusion, fluid flow, thermodynamics, kinetics, microstructure evolution, thermal‑mechanical deformation, residual stress, corrosion, or materials compatibility.
• Ability to conduct independent research while working effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including documentation of methods and presentation of findings.
• Demonstrated potential to publish research in peer‑reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Experience working successfully in a complex regulatory experimental environment.
• Ability to obtain a Q clearance; U.S. citizenship is required.

• Research experience in casting, heat treatment, thermal‑mechanical distortion, residual stress prediction, or process modeling for metallic materials.
• Experience coupling simulation results with experimental data for calibration, validation, uncertainty quantification, or process optimization.
• Experience with gas‑solid interaction, diffusion, materials compatibility, corrosion, or lifetime prediction models.
• Experience using AI, machine learning, surrogate modeling, or optimization methods with physics‑based simulation.
• Experience with commercial or open‑source engineering tools such as COMSOL, Abaqus, STAR‑CCM+, Flow3D, OpenFOAM, MOOSE, LAMMPS, MATLAB, or CAD software.
• Hands‑on or collaborative experience with manufacturing or materials‑processing experiments.
• Record of working safely and productively in regulated experimental environments.
• Self‑motivated research style and a record of contributing effectively within interdisciplinary teams.
• Active DOE Q clearance or other active federal security clearance.

Los Alamos, NM (onsite).

The position requires a Q clearance. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain it. Additional access authorization may apply.

Citizens of the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not lawful permanent residents,…