Research Scientist II - Instrumentation Development

Brookhaven National Laboratory•Upton, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Instrumentation Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory develops state-of-the-art instrumentation to enable forefront experimental research programs. The department maintains expertise and facilities in specialized high-technology areas, including radiation detectors, advanced sensor systems, and readout electronics. Its work supports major scientific initiatives at BNL and has broad impact on national and international programs that rely on cutting-edge instrumentation. The Research Scientist 2 (RS2) will contribute to the development of advanced instrumentation systems for scientific and national security applications within the Instrumentation Department. The candidate will engage in the full lifecycle of detector development, including modeling and simulation, system design, experimental characterization, and data analysis. This role emphasizes integration of simulation and experimental workflows to enable the development of novel, multipurpose detection systems.

Requirements

PhD in physics, nuclear engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field
Experience in radiation detection systems and detector physics
Demonstrated experience in both modeling/simulation and experimental characterization
Experience with data acquisition systems, instrumentation control, and data analysis
Ability to work across the full detector development lifecycle
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to develop innovative technical solutions
Effective communication and collaboration skills
Candidates must have received a Ph.D. by the commencement of employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with semiconductor detectors (e.g., HPGe, silicon detectors)
Experience with radiation transport simulation tools (e.g., Geant4)
Background in neutrino, nuclear, or particle physics instrumentation
Familiarity with national security or nonproliferation applications
Experience in DOE laboratory environments or large collaborations
Experience integrating simulation and experimental design (model-experiment feedback loop)
Experience contributing to proposal development or funded programs

Responsibilities

Conduct independent research in the development of radiation and optical detection systems, including semiconductor and scintillator-based technologies.
Develop and apply modeling and simulation tools to inform detector design and interpret experimental results.
Design, build, and operate experimental setups for detector characterization and validation.
Integrate detector systems with data acquisition, control, and analysis frameworks.
Execute end-to-end development workflows linking simulation, prototyping, and experimental validation.
Contribute to development of cross-cutting instrumentation applicable to fundamental science, national security, and applied domains.
Independently plan and execute small research projects while contributing to larger multi-institutional efforts.
Analyze complex datasets and translate results into improved detector performance.
Collaborate with internal and external partners across DOE laboratories, universities, and agencies.
Contribute to technical reports, publications, and funding proposals