Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Development of Thin Film Nitride Materials

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

An experimental postdoctoral research position is available in NLR’s Materials Discovery and Development group. The position is focused on thin film synthesis and characterization of nitride materials by physical vapor deposition (sputtering). The position would support several collaborative basic science and applied development projects exploring emerging nitride thin films for applications including semiconductors, ultrawide bandgap semiconductors, piezo/ferroelectric materials, and radiation detectors.

One of the projects that this position would support is NLR’s next-generation autonomous semiconductor development suite, created as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's METALLIC platform. Through METALLIC, NLR aims to accelerate the discovery of advanced thin film inorganic semiconductor materials to address critical U.S. supply chain challenges, with particular emphasis on semiconductor technologies involving Ga, Ge, Sc and other critical elements and materials. This position will focus on the development of sputter deposition processes and characterization workflows using this autonomous semiconductor suite. Other projects that would be supported by this position focus on the design, development, and testing of novel ultrawide bandgap nitride materials for radiation detection and piezoelectric/ferroelectric devices.

As a part of both projects, the successful candidate will design and perform thin film synthesis and characterization experiments, collaborate with other scientists and engineers at NLR and at partner institutions, and disseminate results in the form of conference presentations and scientific publications. The job duties would also include setting up and maintaining existing experimental equipment and improving/creating data collection and analysis tools.

Note: We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply, even if they don't meet 100% of the position requirements. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the credentials, skills, and ambition to succeed at NLR to apply for this role.

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Basic Qualifications

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Prior hands-on experience with vacuum-based synthesis of functional thin film materials, using physical vapor deposition, such as reactive sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, or molecular beam epitaxy.
• Hands-on experience with and in-depth knowledge of one or several materials characterization methods, such as x-ray diffraction/scattering, optoelectronic measurements (photoluminescence, Raman, transport), electrical characterization (piezo- or ferroelectric characterization, etc.).
• Strong knowledge of inorganic thin films and semiconductor materials, particularly oxides, nitrides, wide band gap semiconductors and dielectrics, piezoelectrics/ferroelectrics, or related material systems.
• Established track record in scientific writing, presentation, publishing, and communication.

Preferred Qualifications

Strong candidates are asked to further demonstrate the following:

• Proven ability to maintain complex synthesis and characterization instruments, particularly vacuum-based equipment.
• Experience with simple device fabrication in a cleanroom setting (photolithography, etching, electron beam evaporation, etc.)
• Prior experience with automated, autonomous, and high-throughput experimental (combinatorial) research methods and techniques.
• Active computer skills in programing (e.g., Python, LabView, C/Igor Pro, etc.), statistical data analysis, and/or software development.
• Good understanding of solid-state chemistry, crystallography, materials design principles and structure-property relationships in inorganic materials
• Strong motivation, ability to work on collaborative projects, ability to balance different types of tasks and deadlines.

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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: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $76,600 - $126,400

NLR 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-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; and paid holidays. NLR 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.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR 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

NLR 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 NLR, 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 NLR 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.

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Equal Opportunity 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.

Reasonable Accommodations

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