About Sandia

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 vacations, 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.

What Your Job Will Be Like

Are you passionate about research related to ductile mechanics, materials characterization, and working with a full array of material characterization equipment? If so, you will want to consider applying for this unique engineering role as an R&D Laboratory Support Technologist. As part of Sandia's Materials Mechanics & 3D Materials Characterization team you will contribute to the scientific community and national security while collaborating with world-class experts in the field of materials science. You will be part of a team with dynamic expertise including Digital Image Correlation, electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, materials mechanics, 3D Materials Science, and nano sciences. Our laboratory characterizes the mechanical properties and microstructure of a wide variety of materials. Duties include developing experiments, test plans, and equipment setups to characterize mechanical behavior of materials and components using a variety of equipment, including load frames and X-ray computed tomography systems. You will perform experiments and collect and analyze data to investigate the behavior of metals including elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture, fatigue, plasticity and other aspects. Together with the team, you will provide engineering support related to the structural properties of materials, and develop documentation of experiments and measurements, data capture, analysis and summaries. Our department relies heavily on a teaming environment, where everyone is available to contribute their expertise to help solve the numerous challenging and impactful problems that we face. You will be given opportunities to expand your capabilities by taking on new responsibilities as they develop in the course of our work and participating in targeted training opportunities.

Your Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Collecting 3D data and applying image and data processing techniques to produce quantitative measures of microstructure, defects and/or other features of interest from data sources that include X-ray tomography, optical images, and scanning electron microscopy
• Developing unique experiments, test plans, and equipment setups to characterize mechanical behavior of materials and components
• Develop documentation including experiment and measurement data capture, manipulation, and summaries

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

Salary Range

$70,200 - $135,400

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require

• Bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or related field or equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience
• Experience in operating, troubleshooting, and repairing lab equipment
• Experience with data plotting, analysis, manipulation, and documentation
• Able to acquire and maintain a DOE L-level security clearance

Qualifications We Desire

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, materials science, or a related field
• Experience in computer programming and code development with one or more object-oriented languages such as Python, C++, etc.
• Experience with analyzing data on mechanical behavior of materials to draw conclusions from experiments
• Knowledge of structural behavior of materials and stress-strain curves through coursework and/or experience
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team of multiple researchers and manage priorities
• Experience with materials testing on servo-hydraulic or electromechanical load frames
• Experience with tools for materials characterization such as hardness indenters, strain gauges, extensometers, fracture toughness testing, digital image correlation, etc.
• Experience with hand tools and/or power tools, machining equipment, welding, soldering, etc.
• Electromechanical knowledge such as familiarity with data acquisition systems, digital signal processing, electromechanical actuation, feedback control systems, and electrical circuits
• Computer programming for data acquisition, data reduction and/or instrumentation control (e.g. Matlab, Labview, Ardunio, etc.)
• Experience with CAD modeling using Solidworks or other commercial software
• Experience with digital control, oscilloscopes, and other electronic instrumentation
• Experience documenting and presenting work in reports, memos, and presentations
• Active DOE L or Q-Level security clearance

About Our Team

The mission of the Materials Mechanics and Tribology Department (1851) is to develop fundamental understanding of mechanical behavior of materials and to operationalize this understanding to resolve the engineering challenges facing Sandia's national security missions. The department has solved materials problems in Nuclear Deterrence (ND) applications ranging from routine material compatibility concerns to manufacturing scale issues. In addition to ND, the department also has a strong record of applying its resources to develop solutions for many challenges including hardening drill bits, lubricating satellite mechanisms, coating hypersonic rails, and developing new applications for 3D printed materials.
To address these and other challenges, the department is also heavily active in developing novel and emerging processing and characterization techniques. Current activities include the development of high-throughput and in-situ methods for mechanically testing additively-manufactured (AM) metals, digital image correlation, failure and deformation under complex loading, ductile and brittle fracture mechanisms, and 3D characterization of microstructure and components with destructive serial sectioning and X-ray computed tomography. The department members collaborate heavily across organizations within Sandia in New Mexico and California and manage several multi-million-dollar programs which currently include the Brittle Material Assurance Prediction Program (BritMAPP) and Materials Margins Assurance (MMA). The department's technologists, postdocs, and staff have also been awarded several patents and intellectual property provisions.

Our team is committed to nurturing a culture compatible with a broad group of people and perspectives in accordance with the changing makeup of the workforce. In support of this vision, our center actively recruits applicants from diverse groups of backgrounds and fosters an inclusive community.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance

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.

EEO

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.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs

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.

Position Information

This Limited Term Employee (LTE) position is a temporary position for one year term, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to a maximum of seven years.

Individuals in LTE 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.