Research Scientist​/Engineer

Research Scientist/Engineer

At K , we deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. K  employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 85 countries and operations in over 28 countries. K  is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.

Trinzic is the future independent company to be created through the planned spin-off of K 's Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Our people work at the frontier of what is possible, delivering solutions in challenging environments and advancing some of the world's highest-priority national security and space missions.

Backed by decades of mission success, deep expertise, and trusted partnerships, Trinzic will launch as a global organization with more than 18,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Join us at a defining moment and help shape the future of a company built to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful impact.

Candidates who join K 's Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.

Belong. Connect. Grow. with K !

K ’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security.

• Innovative Projects: K ’s work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions.
• Collaborative Environment:
  Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace.
• Impactful Work:
  Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense.

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist/Engineer to support the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RF Sensing Dominance Division, Electronic Devices Branch (RFDD) in conducting first-principles modeling using Density Functional Theory (DFT) to predict, understand, and interpret the properties of wide bandgap semiconductors and semiconductor interfaces. This role focuses on computational materials science, with emphasis on the electronic and structural behavior of point defects, dopants, impurities, surface defects, and interfaces.

The candidate will use advanced DFT tools such as VASP and Quantum ESPRESSO on high-performance computing (HPC) platforms to support cutting-edge semiconductor research and development. This position offers an excellent opportunity for a recent M.S. or Ph.D. graduate looking to apply computational methods to real-world materials challenges.

The ideal candidate is a curious and detail-oriented researcher who enjoys solving complex materials science problems through advanced computational methods. Recent M.S. and Ph.D. graduates are encouraged to apply. Candidates should be comfortable working independently while collaborating effectively in a research-focused environment.

• Perform first-principles simulations using DFT to investigate the properties of wide bandgap semiconductor materials and interfaces.
• Develop/execute computational studies focused on:
  Point defects, Dopants and impurities, Surface defects, Semiconductor interfaces, Phonons, and lattice dynamics
• Prepare, submit, and monitor…