Postdoctoral Appointee - Portable Chemical Sensing Systems, Onsite​/Hybrid

About Sandia:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

+ Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide

+ Extraordinary co-workers

+ Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world

+ Career advancement and enrichment opportunities

+ Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)

+ Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance
* World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..gov

* These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee to join our team.

Government agencies such as DARPA, IARPA, and the Department of War, as well as commercial partners ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, turn to us to develop next-generation chemical and biological sensor technologies to solve critical national security and commercial challenges. Our multi-disciplinary team of biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers, and computer scientists produces many patents, talks, and publications each year.

We are seeking to hire one or more postdoctoral appointees to support the development of next-generation portable chemical sensing systems for national security applications. Because this work spans hardware, analytical chemistry, data analysis, embedded systems, and fieldable instrument development, we welcome applicants from multiple technical backgrounds. This posting is intentionally structured to attract candidates with different but complementary skill sets, rather than a single narrowly defined profile.

Successful candidates may contribute in one or more of the following areas: portable sensor system design, ion mobility spectrometry, micro gas chromatography, analytical chemistry, drug or hazardous material analysis, embedded hardware/software integration, mechanical packaging and ruggedization, data analysis and algorithm development, and field testing of prototype systems. We encourage applicants to apply if they align strongly with any one of the targeted candidate profiles described below.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

+ Develop and mature prototype portable sensing systems for detection of hazardous compounds, drugs of abuse, or related analytes.

+ Design, build, integrate, and test hardware and subsystems for field-deployable analytical instruments.

+ Conduct laboratory characterization studies to evaluate detection performance, selectivity, sensitivity, analysis time, interferent response, and operational utility.

+ Develop or improve sampling methods, thermal interfaces, analytical workflows, or signal-processing methods for portable detection platforms.

+ Contribute to instrument control, data acquisition, algorithm development, or hardware/software integration.

+ Perform experiments using laboratory analytical chemistry equipment to guide system design and validate prototype performance.

+ Support operational testing, user evaluation, and field demonstrations with government stakeholders.

+ Collaborate with chemists, engineers, physicists, and computer scientists to transition sensing technologies from laboratory prototypes toward deployable systems.

This position is located in Albuquerque, NM, and the annual salary for this position is $98,500.

The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary. Note that for some of the areas outlined above and below, due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Qualifications We Require:

+ PhD in Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, or other relevant field.

+ Strong written and verbal communication skills, as evidenced by publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals and/or presentation(s) at scientific conferences.

+ Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L-level security clearance.

Qualifications We Desire:

+ Option - Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics:
Background in electrical engineering, applied physics, or a closely related field; and experience with analog circuit design for electrometers and analytical instrumentation, electronic measurement systems, or related sensing technologies.

+ Option - Ion Mobility Spectrometry / Mass Spectrometry / Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics:
Background in electrical engineering, applied physics,…