Apply on Employer Site

Oak Ridge National Laboratory · 1 day ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Irradiation Materials Analysis

Oak Ridge, TN

Full-time

Onsite

New Grad, Entry Level

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on material property testing, analysis, and modeling of reactor isotope production target materials. The role involves developing experimental plans to examine material properties and supporting the Plutonium-238 Supply Program that produces plutonium-238 for NASA.

Advanced MaterialsClean EnergyEnergyEnergy ManagementManufacturingNuclearRenewable Energy

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Perform experimental and computational studies related to the development of neptunium targets within the Plutonium-238 Supply Program

Develop, validate, and deploy material property testing methodologies for the analysis of existing and new/advanced target designs. These methodologies principally include thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion but also could include other mechanical and chemical properties, as necessary

Support research and development on alternative target designs, including alternative material matrices for pressed cermet pellets, complex geometries of pellets, novel encapsulation methodologies, and other innovations utilizing advanced manufacturing

Publish scientific papers and internal reports resulting from this research and present results at the appropriate settings

Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our cove values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Science

As a member of the ORNL scientific community, you will be expected to commit to ORNL’s Research Code of Conduct. Our full code of conduct and a statement by the Lab Director’s office can be found here: https://www.ornl.gov/content/research-integrity

Qualification

Materials scienceThermal property testingFinite-element analysisExperimental methodologiesComputational approachesAdvanced manufacturingCommunication skillsTeam playerAttention to detailCritical thinking

Required

To be eligible you must have completed a PhD in materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, or a related field with in the last 5 years

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Preferred

Experience with experimental and computational approaches to characterizing thermophysical behavior of materials

Experience developing analytical descriptions of material systems to improve outcomes for application spaces

Experience with techniques for analysis of thermal transport properties such as laser flash diffusivity analysis, transient plane source method, dilatometry, and thermal analysis (DSC/TGA)

Hands-on experience in materials characterization using tools such as particle size analysis, optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction

Strong understanding in fundamental metallic, ceramic, and hybrid materials science as well as some familiarity with a variety of manufacturing processes

Experience with advanced/additive manufacturing

Experience working in radiological environment

Experience in heat transfer and thermal modeling/simulation using finite-element analysis (FEA) or other software

Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team environment on scientifically challenging problems

Demonstrated ability to communicate research results in peer-reviewed publications

Good interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills