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.

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.

• 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.

We are seeking a R&D Materials Scientist to join our hardworking team of chemists, material scientists, chemical engineers, and polymer physicists. This position involves working on a variety of R&D programs with an emphasis on evaluating new polymer systems, exploring polymer reactions and kinetics, small molecule diffusion and sorption behavior in polymers, elucidation of aging and degradation mechanisms, and spectroscopic characterization of polymers for material changes and performance. The position involves developing and advancing programs in polymer degradation and aging, predicting material lifetimes over long time periods, applied polymer problem solving, including solving and optimizing polymer processing parameters amenable to transition to real world applications. Additional department programs include development of polymers for additive manufacturing, development of sustainable polymeric materials, elucidating and optimizing polymer structure-property relationships, cure stress minimization and other polymer physical chemistry phenomena, synthesis of organic materials, and developing polymer diagnostic techniques.

• PhD in materials science, chemical science or engineering, or related science, technology, engineering, or mathematical (STEM) field plus 3 or more years post-doctoral experience working in the field of polymer chemistry
• Proven experience in polymer aging and degradation mechanisms (Performed at the PhD level)
• Experience with polymer characterization using a variety of techniques (e.g. FT-IR, DSC, NMR, water adsorption, etc.)
• Experience with in-situ diagnostics of polymeric processes

• Experience with finite element modeling of polymeric systems
• Experience in additive manufacturing of polymers
• Experience in polymer chemistries focused toward sustainability and a circular economy
• Experience working with diverse teams
• Demonstrated dedication to laboratory safety

The Organic Materials Science Department researches and develops new and advanced materials and processing strategies to meet a wide range of specialized applications in nuclear weapons, national security and industrial applications. Our department is dedicated to scientific discovery, creativity, innovation and practical solutions for our diverse customers. The department specializes in aging science and predictive performance of polymers, synthetic organic and polymer chemistry, thermal, mechanical, chemical, and physical characterization of organic materials, and advanced manufacturing of polymers. We perform reliability studies for polymers with an emphasis on understanding degradation mechanisms, structure-property relationships, and performance margins. Current areas of R&D in the department include: developing novel encapsulant materials, creating new thermoset chemistries for additive manufacturing, developing innovative NMR techniques to understand transport phenomena in polymers, measuring and optimizing electrical performance of polymer dielectrics, elucidating the interdependency of chemical change and polymer physics over long timeframes, creating reversible and degradable chemistries, understanding polymer interfacial properties and adhesion, measuring and predicting radiation effects on polymers, monitoring of reactive thermoset cure kinetics, and quantifying permeation behavior and spatially dependent degradation processes. We perform a complete spectrum of chemical, structural, thermal, rheological, and mechanical characterization of polymeric materials that must perform over 30 - 40 year lifetimes.
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. Join us and work towards your goals while making a difference!

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*

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.