Posting Title

Research Scientist- Design and Characterizaiton of Magnetic and Spintronic Materials

.

Location

CO - Golden

.

Position Type

Regular

.

Hours Per Week

40

.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Employment at NREL is contingent upon your compliance with all NREL and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) safety protocols and mitigation efforts directed at the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 eight 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

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

The interface and surface science group in the materials, chemical, and computational science directorate has an opening for a full-time research scientist focusing on the experimental design and characterization of novel magnetic materials. Primary applications of interest for these materials range from permanent magnets to layers in spintronic and/or magnetic memory devices to quantum materials. Materials containing magnetic d- and f-block elements for applications beyond magnetism are also of interest. This position would involve thin film and bulk synthesis of novel magnetic materials systems followed by characterization of their atomic and magnetic structure. Characterization would be performed using both standard laboratory structural, magnetic, and electronic characterization tools as well as advanced approaches such as synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering.

This position will support developing areas of basic and applied science at NREL at a career scientist level. In addition to laboratory work, the individual will write and submit grant proposals for continued support and growth in this field of research. Publishing high impact papers and giving scientific presentations at national and international meetings is required.

.

Basic Qualifications
Relevant PhD . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 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.

.

Additional Required Qualifications

The individual must have prior experience synthesizing and characterizing complex/novel magnetic materials, as demonstrated by research publications and technical talks. This experience must involve at least a few of the following: magnetic materials design, development, and optimization; bulk inorganic materials synthesis and crystal growth; thin film inorganic materials synthesis; magnetometry; thermodynamic measurements; single crystal, powder, and thin film x-ray and neutron diffraction and scattering; nuclear and magnetic structure refinement; etc. Additional qualifications that would supplement this primary expertise would be a background designing materials containing magnetic elements (i.e., first row transition metals and/or lanthanides) for applications beyond their magnetic properties. The individual must have strong, demonstrable, scientific writing and interpersonal communication skills. The individual will be able to work both independently and collaboratively as both a project/thrust lead and under another PI.

Note: We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply, even if they do not meet all qualifications. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Prior postdoctoral experience or equivalent industrial experience is expected. Strong candidates are asked to further demonstrate the following:

• Expertise in novel chemical spaces and underexplored materials chemistries (e.g., nitrides, phosphides, complex chalcogenides, etc.)
• Track record writing winning proposals both for research funding and for time at user facilities
• History designing complex experiments to extract small signals, especially as related to magnetic properties.
• Familiarity with high throughput materials science (materials screening, combinatorial experiments, etc.).
• Additional specialized chemical synthesis or characterization experience, not explicitly mentioned here, that could be of benefit to other groups at NREL.

(Behavioral Questions) Which competencies will you be using to evaluate the candidates during an interview?  

Strong motivation, ability to work on collaborative projects, ability to balance different types of tasks, ability to identify pressing research needs and creatively address them.

.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Researcher III / Annual Salary Range: $75,500 - $135,900

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, as well as the position's work location, 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

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, 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.