Postdoctoral Appointee – Classical Atomistic Modeling, Onsite

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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Are you passionate about using computational methods to design new materials and uncover how atomic-scale structure governs materials performance? Our team seeks a motivated postdoctoral researcher with expertise in atomistic materials modeling emphasizing classical molecular dynamics.

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

• Plan, conduct, and analyze computer simulations of materials behavior at the atomistic scale to identify mechanisms and trends, deduce materials structure, properties, and parameters.
• Develop and maintain simulation workflows and data-analysis tools to build creative solutions to materials science challenges.
• Integrate materials knowledge to formulate research hypotheses, propose and carry out research.
• Work in collaborative team environments on multidisciplinary, technically challenging projects as part of a dynamic research organization.
• Communicate accomplishments in presentations at international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals and engage with program managers to convey impact and research direction.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected candidate will need to work onsite.

• PhD in materials science, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, or closely related field.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.

• Demonstrated expertise with large-scale, classical atomistic simulations (i.e., molecular dynamics) applied to engineering-relevant materials problems.
• experience simulating a broad range of materials systems (e.g., structural metals and alloys, polymers and composites, semiconductors, oxides/ceramics, 2D materials) and interface-dominated phenomena (e.g., grain boundaries, surfaces, phase boundaries).
• Proficiency with higher- or lower-length scale simulation techniques (e.g., DFT, kinetic Monte Carlo, dislocation dynamics, finite element) and one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, C++).
• Experience applying machine learning or artificial intelligence to advance simulation methods, enable high-throughput workflows, or discover structure-property-performance relationships.
• Track record of collaborating with experimentalists and computational researchers to advance materials for engineering applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills evidenced by a history of publishing original research in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional conferences.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships and develop creative solutions in team environments.

The Computational Materials Science Department applies materials modeling on multiple length scales to accelerate engineering solutions and drive materials discovery and design for Sandias missions. Our expertise spans a diversity of materials (including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, ferroelectrics, and metal-organic frameworks) and a breadth of computational methods from density functional theory and molecular dynamics to mesoscale and microstructure-informed continuum simulations.

This posting will be open for Application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.