Postdoctoral Appointee - Atomistic and Molecular Scale Modeling of Materials, Onsite

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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:

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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

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We are seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee with a focused background in kinetic Monte Carlo, Molecular Dynamics (MD), Dislocation Dynamics (DD), and/or Density Functional Theory (DFT) to join our interdisciplinary team of scientists and professionals. As part of this work, you will apply fundamental scientific principles in complex material simulations for property estimation and mechanism discovery. Examples include oxide formation in various metallic systems, nucleation and growth mechanisms of helium bubbles, as well as hydride formation and stability in irradiated materials.

Our work strongly couples both experimental and theoretical approaches to provide innovative and robust solutions. This work is expected to lead to the publication of research findings in peer reviewed journal articles and technical reports.

Apply atomistic simulations (e.g., DFT, molecular dynamics, kinetic Monte Carlo) to study problems related to interstitial interactions with metals in extreme environments.

Interact with experts in diverse fields to develop models of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of aging structural materials.

Work independently as well as contribute creatively to team efforts

Present results at national/international meetings and publish research in high‑profile peer‑reviewed journals

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Ph.D. in Material Science, Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline

Demonstrated experience publishing peer‑reviewed journal articles

Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance

Strong written and communication skills

Ability to work in a team environment

Demonstrated technical background in atomic scale modeling

Experience with materials physics

modeling interstitial interactions with materials

Familiarity with UNIX/Linux operating systems and code development (HPC environments)

Proficiency in modern programming languages such as C++ and Python

Experience with modeling and simulation tools; ability to assess tool capabilities and limitations when selecting and utilizing tools to perform simulations

Skills at utilizing high‑performance computing resources to efficiently manage and perform large‑scale simulations

Experience with atomistic simulation codes (e.g. LAMMPS), and visualization software (e.g. OVITO, VMD)

Experience with DFT codes (e.g. VASP)

Experience with machine learning

The Materials Physics department performs fundamental research on the structure and properties of materials to support programs in energy research, device physics, materials reliability, and national security. Specific activities include experimental and modeling studies of surface electronic structure and surface atomic structure and dynamics of…