Materials Scientist

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science‑based, mission‑focused solutions to take on complex, real‑world threats to our nation and the world.

The Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technologies Division, within the National Security Directorate, works across fundamental science, research and development, and operations to counter emerging national security threats. We focus on discovering signatures and understanding threats by creating materials, methods, and technologies to detect and analyze them. Our researchers deliver the solutions necessary for addressing complex mission challenges, such as explosives detection, biological threat detection, chemical and nuclear forensics, and special nuclear materials.

The Nuclear Material Processing (NMP) group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is seeking an early career materials scientist to join a team of multidisciplinary scientists and engineers working to strengthen national security and advance nuclear science. The ideal candidate will have hands‑on experience in actinide and/or actinide surrogate material processing and operating research equipment for thermal analysis, including calorimeters (Calvet‑type and/or differential scanning), thermogravimetric‑differential thermal analyzers, thermomechanical analyzers, and muffle/tube furnaces.

Additionally, the candidate should be familiar with typical solid material characterization tools (e.g., X‑ray diffraction). Experience with residual gas mass spectrometry and working in radiological fume hoods and glove‑boxes is desired but not required.

The successful candidate will work with senior team members as a contributor to the broad program of NMP group research. The candidate’s contributions will derive from their ability to propose technical alternatives on existing projects and efforts, ultimately leading to the development of new proposal concepts. The candidate will work independently to complete recurring assignments and define/lead project work at a small task/project level, reporting results to the larger team on time and within budget.

They will be expected to contribute to proposals as well as embrace expectations for quality, safety, and security in all aspects of the job.

The materials scientist will be responsible for applying advanced knowledge of thermal analysis techniques to investigate and evaluate the properties and behavior of materials under various temperature conditions, including natural, synthetic, and composite materials such as salts, glass, metals, alloys, ceramics, and combinations of these materials. The successful candidate will perform comprehensive characterization of products derived from solid, liquid, and gas phase reactions, utilizing a range of analytical and spectroscopic methods to assess material composition, structure, and performance.

Specific research areas include physics, chemistry, materials science, glass science, ceramic science, and corrosion science.

• BS/BA and 2 years of relevant experience
  -OR-
• MS/MA
  -OR-
• PhD

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated experience publishing in peer‑reviewed journals and presenting at scientific conferences.
• Demonstrated ability to work individually and as a team member
• Experience with radioactive materials and nuclear science/technology
• Experience with halide molten salts, ceramics, and glasses
• Experience with processing of actinide or actinide surrogate materials
• Experience with thermal analysis instrumentation and methods (TGA‑DTA, TMA, DSC, Calvet‑type calorimetry)
• Experience…