Metallurgist / Materials Engineer – Joining and Thermal Processing

LLNL•Livermore, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is hiring a Metallurgist/Materials Engineer to develop, qualify, and implement metallic joining and thermal-processing methods for critical national security components. The role supports process development and metallurgical characterization in collaboration with design, modeling, materials, and production organizations at LLNL and external production agencies. The engineer will work on an interdisciplinary team to establish process-structure-property relationships in structural alloys, with opportunities to grow into a technical leadership role. The position is in the Materials Engineering Division (MED) within the Engineering Directorate and requires full-time onsite presence. It will be filled at either the SES.1 or SES.2 level, depending on the candidate’s knowledge and related experience; additional duties apply at SES.2. The work includes developing and optimizing laboratory processes such as electron-beam and laser welding, vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, and heat treatment for steels, nickel-base alloys, radioactive alloys, and other structural alloys. The position also provides metallurgical engineering support for processing, materials selection, and properties investigations; contributes to process-system design and operation; and evaluates materials and joints through metallographic preparation, microscopy, hardness testing, and mechanical testing. Experimental data will be organized and analyzed to improve understanding of processing, structure, and properties, and results will be integrated with analytical or computational models to inform process windows and production workflows. The engineer will collaborate with scientists, engineers, technologists, designers, and production partners across design, analysis, prototyping, and production implementation. Travel of up to approximately 20% to external production facilities—including Y-12, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Kansas City National Security Campus—is expected to observe and support operations, review procedures, and provide feedback to LLNL program-management and design teams. Other duties may be assigned. At the SES.2 level, the role additionally takes technical ownership of specific joining and thermal-processing operations, contributes to requirements and specifications, qualification, and continuous improvement, provides informal technical guidance and mentoring, and leads or co-leads defined technical tasks or small projects while coordinating progress against scope, schedule, and quality requirements.

Requirements

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy Q-level security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for the clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering, materials science and engineering, welding engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Relevant experience may be gained through academic research, laboratory coursework, senior design projects, internships, or professional employment.
Experience or training conducting experiments involving metals processing, joining, or metallurgical characterization, including data collection, analysis, and documentation.
Foundational understanding of relationships between processing parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties, and ability to assess joint and material quality using microstructural observations and basic mechanical-test data.
Experience or training in microstructural characterization of metallic materials and/or joints, including sample preparation and optical microscopy.
Ability to work effectively on multidisciplinary teams, communicate status and results, and incorporate feedback.
Effective verbal and written communication skills for preparing, presenting, and explaining technical information.
Commitment to safe work practices and ability to adapt to evolving priorities.
Ability to travel to external production facilities to support program operations.
At SES.2, working knowledge and relevant experience focused on metallic joining or thermal processing, or closely related roles.
At SES.2, experience developing, optimizing, or qualifying joining and processing methods, such as high-energy-density welding, vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, or hot isostatic pressing (HIP), in a laboratory or production setting.
At SES.2, experience working in quality-controlled or regulated environments, such as DOE, aerospace, or nuclear environments, including use of procedures, travelers, or work instructions.
At SES.2, ability to independently plan and execute joining and processing experiments and metallurgical characterization, interpret results, and recommend process or heat-treatment improvements.
At SES.2, experience using, interpreting, or collaborating with analytical or computational models to guide process-development and qualification decisions.
At SES.2, experience demonstrating increasing technical leadership, such as leading small project efforts, coordinating cross-functional activities, or serving as a technical point of contact.

Nice To Haves

Degree in welding engineering, or focused coursework, research, or practical experience in welding metallurgy and joining.
Master’s degree in metallurgical engineering, materials science and engineering, welding engineering, or a closely related field.
Experience operating or developing joining or thermal-processing methods such as electron-beam or laser welding, vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, HIP, and complex heat treatments for structural alloys.
Experience applying advanced characterization techniques such as SEM, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and X-ray-based methods to evaluate joint microstructures and defects.
Understanding of basic principles of high-performance joining equipment, including system maintenance and troubleshooting.
Knowledge of advanced mechanical-testing methods, such as fracture or fatigue testing, and experience joining specialty or hazardous materials in controlled environments, including associated thermal processing.
Familiarity with process-modeling tools, digital workflows, or data-management approaches that support systematic process development and qualification.
Familiarity with SEM or other advanced characterization methods.

Responsibilities

Develop, execute, and optimize laboratory metallic joining and thermal-processing methods, including electron-beam and laser welding, vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, and heat treatment.
Provide metallurgical engineering support for processing, materials selection, and properties investigations.
Participate in designing, setting up, and operating processing and joining systems, including fixture design, parameter development, and troubleshooting.
Prepare and characterize samples and evaluate joints using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), hardness testing, and mechanical tests such as tensile and bend testing.
Organize, analyze, and present experimental and process-development data to improve understanding of processing-structure-property relationships.
Collaborate with scientists, engineers, technologists, designers, and production partners across design, analysis, prototyping, and production implementation.
Integrate experimental results with analytical or computational models, including process models, thermal or stress analyses, and microstructure-evolution tools.
Travel to external production facilities to observe and support operations, review procedures, and provide feedback to LLNL program-management and design teams.
At SES.2, take technical ownership of joining and thermal-processing operations, including requirements definition, specification input, process qualification, and continuous improvement.
At SES.2, provide technical guidance and informal mentoring to less-experienced staff, technicians, and students.
At SES.2, lead or co-lead defined technical tasks or small projects, coordinate team members, and track progress against scope, schedule, and quality requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned.