Senior/Principal R&D Laboratory Support Technologist - Geomechanics and Geochemistry, Onsite

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 vacation, 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

We are seeking an R&D Laboratory Support Technologist to join our team of scientific professionals supporting work in national security. We are an interdisciplinary team dedicated to performing our work in accordance with internal and external standards of excellence. Note that some travel and some infrequent overtime may be required.

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

• Learn and develop new skills with on-the-job training, formal training, and mentoring.
• Support ongoing geomechanics research and development projects related to underground storage of hydrocarbons, CO2, and energy, nuclear waste, as well as other projects involving nuclear nonproliferation, basic rock mechanics research of fracture and flow of geomaterials, and weapon component materials characterization.
• Assist in the development, assembly, and design of new test apparatuses and measurement systems in collaboration with others to support a wide range of existing and new projects working with scientists and engineers.
• Support of in situ field experiments, which could entail installation of field instrumentation and collection of data.
• Operate and maintain of a wide range of tools and scientific equipment.
• Perform many of these tasks and others throughout the day in a highly-dynamic environment, through task switching and self-monitoring multiple concurrent activities within the lab.

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

Salary Range

$74,700 - $144,400

*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.

Qualifications We Require

• Associate's degree in engineering, science, or other relevant field; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L-level security clearance.

Qualifications We Desire

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (such as mechanical, civil, geotechnical, material science, or electrical engineering; geology, geophysics, or other physical science; or other relevant field).
• Desire and ability to rapidly learn new skills and put those skills into practice.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work well in a team.
• Experience in mechanical testing of materials such as rocks and soils, ceramics, or other engineered materials.
• Experience with/use of programming languages such as LabVIEW; drafting software such as SolidWorks and CREO; and productivity tools such as Microsoft Office.
• Experience in the operation and maintenance of high-pressure systems and of machine tools (end mill, drill press, lathe, surface grinder, hand tools, rock saws, etc.) to prepare specimens and fabricate components needed for materials testing.
• Experience designing and fabricating testing components needed for materials testing or other geoscience experiments.
• Experience in programming testing machine control devices, data acquisition systems and calibrating instrumentation such as foil strain gauges, displacement transducers, load cells, pressure transducers, thermocouples and piezoelectric transducers.
• Demonstrated ability to support a rigorous environmental, safety, and health program and work planning and control systems and maintain an organized and clean workplace.

About Our Team

The Geomechanics and Geochemistry Department addresses cross-cutting issues in geoscience and national security, and geoengineering related to rock mass characterization, rock mass mechanics, development of numerical codes and numerical simulations, validation of material models and design procedures, and rock mass site monitoring. Supported by combinations of laboratory work and in situ observations, the Geomechanics Department emphasizes: characterization of natural fracture systems; identification and modeling of rock deformation and failure processes; laboratory determinations of thermomechanical and transport properties of competent rock and natural fractures, including studies of coupled effects; extrapolation of laboratory measurements to field conditions; in situ stress measurements and evaluation of in situ boundary conditions; and laboratory and bench-scale validation studies.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) 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.