Postdoctoral Appointee - Computational Modeling and Simulation Code Verification and VVUQ, Onsite

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:

The Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification (VVUQ) Department is seeking a Postdoctoral Computational Engineer or Computational Physicist. This individual will perform research and development associated with code verification of computational-physics codes across a variety of disciplines.

You will team closely with subject matter experts across modeling and simulation, including code development, math, physics, engineering, and VVUQ, to develop and apply novel code-verification approaches to challenging problems related to Sandia's core mission.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

+ Implementing and using manufactured and exact solutions to perform verification on computational physics codes that span different physics disciplines

+ Developing novel and/or rigorous techniques to support these efforts and modifying existing codes to include these capabilities

+ Documenting, publishing, and presenting work internally and externally

+ Supporting other focuses of the department         

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.  Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

Qualifications We Require:

+ PhD in engineering (e.g., aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, nuclear) or natural science (e.g., mathematics, physics) conferred within 5 years of start date

+ Background in computational physics, including one or more of the following disciplines: fluid dynamics (CFD), solid mechanics, electromagnetics (EM), heat transfer, radiation, plasma, and others.

+ Background in numerical methods, including one or more of the following methods: finite elements, finite differences, finite volumes, particle-in-cell, Monte Carlo, deterministic radiation transport, and other methods used to solve partial differential equations (PDEs) and integro-partial differential equations

+ Interest in performing verification, validation, and/or uncertainty quantification

+ Openness to working on different physics disciplines

+ Strong verbal and written communication skills and an ability to interact well with fellow technical workers with diverse technical backgrounds

+ Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance  

Qualifications We Desire:

+ Experience in code and solution verification, including the use of exact and manufactured solutions (MMS)

+ Programming language experience in languages such as Fortran, C, or C++

+ Scripting language experience in languages such as Matlab or Python

+ History of publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at scientific conferences   

About Our Team:

The mission of the Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification (VVUQ) department (1544) is to provide research, development, and application of analytical, computational, and experimental techniques to assess the credibility of physics-based computational models and simulations. This highly cross-cutting, multi-disciplinary team, experienced in simulation and experimentation, draws from a wide range of disciplines, including fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, radiation effects, solid and structural mechanics, heat transfer, numerical methods, optimization, statistics, and risk assessment, to support the laboratories
¿ mission. Verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification (VVUQ) is an interdisciplinary activity that identifies, communicates, and prioritizes gaps in modeling and simulation credibility to support informed decision-making. Verification determines whether a computational model accurately represents the mathematical model of a physical process, and that the computational model is solved correctly. Validation determines the degree of agreement between experimental data and simulation data, including their respective uncertainties.

Uncertainty quantification is a key element of validation and it encompasses a…