Postdoctoral Appointee - Battery Safety Research, Onsite

Bidder Eligibility:

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.

Employees must remain in their current position for one year before applying for a new position, with the exception of student interns. Application of this requirement will not supersede collective bargaining agreements. See collective bargaining labor agreements for represented bidder eligibility requirements for represented employees.

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:

The Applied Combustion Research Department is rapidly growing our research capabilities focused on battery safety science and we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our dynamic team of professionals.

We seek a highly motivated individual that can independently conceptualize and perform high-impact experimental research into the mechanisms of battery system failure through application of advanced diagnostics. Our team performs applied combustion research for propulsion and stationary energy applications using specialized facilities and advanced spectroscopic diagnostics. Examples of battery safety research includes activities/cells discussed at https://ecn.sandia.gov/ecn-workshop/ecn9-proceedings/. You will be responsible for supporting existing research projects and contributing to the development of new projects.

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

• Develop and use state-of-the-art electrochemical and temperature diagnostics capabilities to elucidate lithium and advanced-materials battery health
• Create and implement cutting-edge optical and laser-based diagnostic capabilities to investigate complex, reacting flows in applied environments
• Analyze internal structure of batteries through advanced x-ray and optical diagnostics and image processing
• Identify and quantitatively characterize key controlling physical and chemical processes related to battery cell thermal runaway, venting and combustion
• Employ computational software to further investigate these processes
• Use the data from both experiments and simulations to synthesize new understanding and to create improved models and predictive tools to ensure battery runaway is avoided
• Create data acquisition and analysis capabilities, specifying equipment and using both custom computer codes and commercial data acquisition, scientific/statistical data processing, and experimental monitoring software
• Design, fabricate, install and test electrical/mechanical components, instrumentation (pressure, temperature, flow), and control systems for optically accessible research facilities and laboratory infrastructure
• Generate high-impact journal and conference publications and presentation
• Participate in international collaborations with leading engineers and scientists from industry, universities, and other technical institutions

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

Qualifications We Require:

• PhD in Engineering, the Physical Sciences, or related field
• Background in thermal sciences, fluid mechanics, or combustion sciences
• Demonstrated accomplishment in experimental research

Qualifications We Desire:

• Experience performing battery thermal runaway experiments (accelerating rate calorimetry; overcharge, temperature, and mechanical abuse)
• Familiarity applying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy diagnostics for early detection of degraded battery health
• Experience with chemical kinetics and gas/solid/liquid-phase mixing and combustion
• Working knowledge of pressure, chemical, and laser safety systems
• Experience interfacing with DAQ systems and embedded system programming
• Experience with real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Programming experience (MATLAB, Python, C++, LabView or similar)
• Familiarity with CAD software (SolidWorks or similar) and Multiphysics simulation software (COMSOL, CONVERGE, GT Power and similar)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

About Our Team:

The mission of Sandia/California's Applied Combustion Research Department is to develop the science base needed by industry to build and optimize a new generation of advanced, high-efficiency, clean internal-combustion (IC) engines that use both conventional and alternative fuels. The department is part of Sandia's Combustion Research Facility (CRF), where ~100 scientists, engineers, and technologists conduct basic and applied research to improve our nation's ability to use and control combustion processes efficiently and cleanly. The CRF offers a challenging and stimulating work environment that addresses today's most critical energy and environmental issues, as well as opportunities for personal, professional, and technical growth.

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:

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. 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.

Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract. All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.

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.

Job ID: 694658

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F