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:

Sandia's Engineering Sciences Experimental Facility is seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee to support research in experimental aerosciences. Research topics include characterization of advanced high-temperature materials in challenging hypersonic environments and the development and application of optical diagnostics for measurements of gas-phase and multi-phase flows in high-speed and high-temperature environments. These projects involve Sandia’s hypersonic shock tunnel, high-temperature shock tube, and plasma torch. Additional research topics are available involving Sandia's hypersonic wind tunnel and trisonic wind tunnel facilities focused on unsteady aerodynamics to model advanced hypersonic flight systems, as measured by a combination of advanced surface sensors and optical diagnostics. In these roles, you will have access to state-of-the-art laser sources, high-speed cameras, advanced optical sensors, and test facilities.

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

• Develop experiments and new diagnostic techniques to measure properties of hypersonic and multiphase flow environments.
• Develop simplified models and interact with computational engineers to compare experimental data with predictions to answer scientific questions.
• Work independently within a team of experimental and computational engineers in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Publish work in peer-reviewed scientific publications and in internal technical reports.
• Present work to team members, customers, and the larger scientific community.

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

Qualifications We Require:

• You have, or are pursuing a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other related engineering field, and will have completed your Ph.D. prior to starting at Sandia
• Experience working in a shock tube, shock tunnel, expansion tunnel, wind tunnel, or other aerothermal or aerodynamic test laboratory environment
• Experience in development and application of optical diagnostics such as but not limited to optical emission spectroscopy (OES), laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS), planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), particle image velocimetry (PIV), femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET), doppler global velocimetry (DGV), Raman-based scattering methods (e.g. CARS), or similar measurement techniques
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE L security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

• Experience with data analysis programming tools (Matlab, Python)
• Experience with high-temperature gas equilibrium tools (NASA CEA, Cantera, etc.) and/or knowledge of compressible gas dynamics
• Experience fielding traditional instrumentation such as surface pressure, shear, and temperature measurement sensors
• Basic experience with computational fluid dynamics tools as needed to assist with experiment design
• Experience with mechanical design tools (Solidworks or equivalent), making mechanical drawings, and sending parts for manufacturing
• Proven track record of publications and innovation, as evidenced by peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences

About Our Team:

The mission of the Diagnostics for Extreme Environments & Hypersonics Department is to develop and apply experimental aerothermodynamic capabilities and a wide range of advanced diagnostics to problems of national security for Sandia’s missions. The department employs our multi-phase and high-temperature shock tubes and hypersonic shock tunnel to study reacting, multiphase flow environments and to characterize the flow characteristics of realistic hypersonic environments. We team closely with the Aerosciences Department to observe and analyze hypersonic flow using the facility’s hypersonic and trisonic wind tunnel. In addition, we develop and apply innovative diagnostics across many engineering sciences disciplines, fostering the expertise needed to develop or adapt measurement techniques to challenging environments and understand uncertainty. Our combined physics experiments and measurements help to unravel unresolved phenomenology and enable computational model validation. As an organization, we steward and grow a broad range of capabilities and partner with many organizations in the areas of high-speed quantitative optical measurements, advanced laser diagnostics, solid mechanics, X-ray, and more.

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 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.

Job ID: 692953