Postdoctoral Appointee – Portable Chemical Sensing Systems, Onsite/Hybrid

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://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee to join our team.

Government agencies such as DARPA, IARPA, and the Department of War, as well as commercial partners ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, turn to us to develop next-generation chemical and biological sensor technologies to solve critical national security and commercial challenges. Our multi-disciplinary team of biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers, and computer scientists produces many patents, talks, and publications each year. We are seeking to hire one or more postdoctoral appointees to support the development of next-generation portable chemical sensing systems for national security applications. Because this work spans hardware, analytical chemistry, data analysis, embedded systems, and fieldable instrument development, we welcome applicants from multiple technical backgrounds. This posting is intentionally structured to attract candidates with different but complementary skill sets, rather than a single narrowly defined profile.

Successful candidates may contribute in one or more of the following areas: portable sensor system design, ion mobility spectrometry, micro gas chromatography, analytical chemistry, drug or hazardous material analysis, embedded hardware/software integration, mechanical packaging and ruggedization, data analysis and algorithm development, and field testing of prototype systems. We encourage applicants to apply if they align strongly with any one of the targeted candidate profiles described below.

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

• Develop and mature prototype portable sensing systems for detection of hazardous compounds, drugs of abuse, or related analytes.
• Design, build, integrate, and test hardware and subsystems for field-deployable analytical instruments.
• Conduct laboratory characterization studies to evaluate detection performance, selectivity, sensitivity, analysis time, interferent response, and operational utility.
• Develop or improve sampling methods, thermal interfaces, analytical workflows, or signal-processing methods for portable detection platforms.
• Contribute to instrument control, data acquisition, algorithm development, or hardware/software integration.
• Perform experiments using laboratory analytical chemistry equipment to guide system design and validate prototype performance.
• Support operational testing, user evaluation, and field demonstrations with government stakeholders.
• Collaborate with chemists, engineers, physicists, and computer scientists to transition sensing technologies from laboratory prototypes toward deployable systems.

This position is located in Albuquerque, NM, and the annual salary for this position is $98,500.

The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary. Note that for some of the areas outlined above and below, due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

• PhD in Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, or other relevant field.
• 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 L-level security clearance.

• Option – Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics: Background in electrical engineering, applied physics, or a closely related field; and experience with analog circuit design for electrometers and analytical instrumentation, electronic measurement systems, or related sensing technologies.
• Option – Ion Mobility Spectrometry / Mass Spectrometry / Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics: Background in electrical engineering, applied physics, chemical engineering or a closely related field; and experience with ion mobility spectrometry, mass spectrometry, analytical instrumentation, electronic measurement systems, or related sensing technologies.
• Option – Mechanical Engineering / Portable Systems: Background in mechanical engineering or a closely related field; and experience designing, building, integrating, or testing portable sensor systems, fieldable instruments, data-collection systems, or other deployable hardware platforms.
• Option – Chemistry / Drug Analysis: Background in chemistry, analytical chemistry, chemical engineering, or a closely related field; and experience performing chemical analysis relevant to drugs, hazardous compounds, trace analytes, complex mixtures, or related applications using laboratory or field-portable analytical methods.
• Option – Computer Science / Hardware-Software Integration: Background in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, robotics, or a closely related field; and experience developing software and integrating hardware/software systems for sensing, instrument control, automation, data acquisition, signal processing, or embedded/real-time applications.
• Option – Sensor-Adjacent / Related Technical Experience: Background in a relevant science or engineering discipline; and experience in sensor development, sensor system integration, analytical instrumentation, embedded systems, microfabrication, fieldable hardware, signal processing, detection algorithms, chemometrics, or other technical areas closely related to portable sensing systems.
• Ability to work onsite up to 100% of the time.

The Biological and Chemical Sensors Department at Sandia National Laboratories specializes in miniature sensors and sensor-based system for a variety of sensing applications including chemical, biological, and explosives. These sensors and systems can be built into wearable, handheld, UAV, or fixed/installed formats. We have a strong emphasis on nano, micro, and mesoscale fabrication in our R&D including the capability to integrate custom electronics developed in Sandia’s MESA facility. We also have state-of-the-art microbiology capabilities to aid in biological sensor development. Our technologies are designed to be non-invasive or minimally invasive, and easy to use in the field or at the point of care.

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 L-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 the 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.