Postdoctoral Appointee – Modeling Batteries and Battery Systems, Onsite

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We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher (job title: Postdoctoral Appointee) with an interest in modeling batteries and battery systems. As part of the Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems Department, you will develop and implement models for Li and non-lithium battery systems.

The successful candidate will develop first-principle, reduced-order, and data-driven models of cell and battery performance and degradation using a combination of finite-element forward models, surrogate models, and hybrid machine learning techniques. The researcher will work with a multi-disciplinary group and interact with researchers at Sandia and Universities working on battery development, modeling, and characterization.

On any given day you may be called on to:

• Develop models for batteries and energy storage systems.
• Contribute to the development of open-source software tools for battery modeling.
• Document research findings for internal and external publication.
• Present on research progress at group meetings, peer review events, and technical conferences.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. This position is located in Albuquerque, NM, and the annual salary for this position is $98,500.

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Electrochemical/Energy Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or other relevant field, such as a closely related engineering or natural science field.
• experience with computational modeling, reduced-order modeling, or data analytics.
• Experience with code development and/or scripting.
• 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 Q-level security clearance.

• Experience with batteries, other energy storage technologies, or grid-scale storage applications.
• Experience with machine learning or artificial intelligence, particularly physics-informed/physics-constrained machine learning or multi-fidelity surrogate modeling.
• Python and/or C++ code development experience.
• Expertise with the Linux operating system.
• Experience with zinc batteries.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal direction while engaging with peers in a group environment.

The Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems Department is focused on the development and integration of power conversion devices and systems into our future electric grid. The department has numerous projects with the Energy Storage Technology and Systems Department, which focuses on the development of advanced energy storage technologies, safety and reliability of energy storage systems, and the development of methods and tools to evaluate the performance of storage systems.

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.

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia’s discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.