Post Bachelors Research Associate - Chemical Physics Experimental

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

2d • 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 Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate's (PCSD’s) strengths in experimental, computational, and theoretical chemistry and materials science, together with our advanced computing, applied mathematics and data science capabilities, are central to the discovery mission we embrace at PNNL. But our most important resource is our people—experts across the range of scientific disciplines who team together to take on the biggest scientific challenges of our time.
The Physical Sciences Division stewards discovery science research portfolios including catalysis, materials science, separations, analytical chemistry, geosciences, and chemical physics. Our research strives to refine our molecular-level understanding of multiphase systems and phenomena including complex interfaces. We discover and apply new knowledge to address major national priorities and needs in energy sustainability through the development of new energy storage technologies and the creation of high-value fuels and materials from abundant wastes.

We are seeking experimental Post Bachelors Research Associate in Chemical Physics to contribute to PNNL’s goals in our experimental Condensed Phase and Interfacial Molecular Science program. Work in this area emphasizes basic research at the boundary of chemistry and physics, pursuing a molecular-level understanding of chemical, physical, and electron- and photon-driven processes in liquids and at interfaces. Our scientific goals are to is to understand the fundamental interactions of aqueous solution chemistry, the aqueous solvation of complex anions, and reactivity in ambient and extreme conditions. More specifically, we aim to understand the molecular-level structure and energetics of ion solvation and their relationship to the physical and chemical properties of solutions.

Requirements

• Candidates must have received a Bachelor’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, or other laboratory based physical science.
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams in a national laboratory setting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and collaborate with other team members
• Data collection using ultra high vacuum chamber with temperature programmed desorption
• Data collection using FTIR spectroscopy
• Analyze experimental results using standard scientific data processing software
• Give oral presentations and written reports on the results

Benefits

• Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support.
• Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match.
• Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.
• Research Associates excluded.
• All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees