PhD Intern - Materials Scientist

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to take on complex, real-world threats to our nation and the world. The Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technologies Division, within the National Security Directorate, works across fundamental science, research and development, and operations to counter emerging national security threats. We focus on discovering signatures and understanding threats by creating materials, methods, and technologies to detect and analyze them. Our researchers deliver the solutions necessary for addressing complex mission challenges, such as explosives detection, biological threat detection, chemical and nuclear forensics, and special nuclear materials. The Nuclear Material Processing group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is searching for a PhD Intern to join a team of multidisciplinary scientists and engineers to assist in the establishment of a flexible capability to produce Pu oxide for use in identifying signatures associated with plutonium production. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the development of actinide processing capability at PNNL and will have the opportunity to broaden the laboratory experiences as interest and project availability provide. The successful candidate will also be expected to work effectively with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, be self-motivated, and have excellent communication skills. The ability to multitask and work both independently and in a team environment is essential.

Requirements

Candidates must be currently enrolled/matriculated in a PhD program at an accredited college.
Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.

Nice To Haves

Pursuing a PhD degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related discipline.
Demonstrates high competency in metallography including best practices for cutting and polishing.
Possesses strong knowledge in several metal characterization methods including: visible-light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, focused ion beam microscopy, and atom probe tomography.
Detailed comprehension of physical metallurgy.
The ideal candidate is safety-oriented, possesses good written and oral communication skills, and has demonstrated an ability to collaborate effectively.
Preferred candidates will have a strong track record of demonstrating initiative, problem-solving, independent execution of routine research tasks, and ability to learn new concepts and research.