Research Scientist- Autonomous Experimentation for Inorganic Thin Film Materials Discovery

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Golden, CO, United States

Posting Title

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Regular

Hours Per Week

Working at NREL

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and

see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

Job Description

A research scientist position is available in the Materials Science Center, in the area of autonomous synthesis and characterization for design and discovery of inorganic thin film materials. This experimental position would support existing and develop new research projects that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning methods for early-stage materials development, in collaboration with other scientists, engineers, and technicians at NREL.

Primary responsibilities of this position would include:

Design of new and upgrade of existing automated experimental instruments and software controls, to enable closed-loop autonomous experimentation, in collaboration with engineering team and research technicians.
Synthesis, characterization and analysis of inorganic thin films using autonomous experimentation methods for a broad range of applications relevant to energy and electronic materials, in collaboration with experimental and theoretical physicists and chemist.
Hands-on support and development of experimental materials research data infrastructure, including databases, algorithms, software, APIs, user interfaces, web-based applications, in collaboration with software engineers

In addition, writing research proposals in response to funding opportunities, and describing research results in journal publications and conference presentation, would be required.

Basic Qualifications

Relevant PhD, or relevant Master's Degree plus 3 or more years of experience, or relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience .
Demonstrates complete understanding and wide application of scientific technical procedures, principles, theories and concepts in the field.
General knowledge of other related disciplines.
Demonstrates leadership in one or more areas of team, task or project lead responsibilities.
Demonstrated experience in management of projects. Very good technical writing, interpersonal and communication skills.

Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Strong candidates are asked to demonstrate the following qualifications

past work on autonomous experimentation hardware and software
hands-on experience with vacuum chambers and other laboratory equipment
strong background in materials chemistry, semiconductor physics
demonstrated scientific leadership through publication and presentation record
self-motivation, multi-tasking, and team-work abilities

Preferred Qualifications

A successful candidate would have a track record in the following areas:

automated high-throughput combinatorial research methods
synthesis via physical vapor deposition methods such as sputtering or MBE
discovery and design of inorganic thin film materials such as nitrides and oxides
design and implementation of software for data analysis and instrument control
ability and interest in attracting research funding

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Researcher III / Annual Salary Range: $79,600 - $143,300

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

EEO Policy

NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

EEO is the Law

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination

Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify

www.dhs.gov/E-Verify

For information about right to work, click

here

for English or

here

for Spanish.

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.