Researcher - Perovskite Packaging and Reliability

National Laboratory of the Rockies•Golden, CO

12d•$83,600 - $150,500•Onsite

About The Position

A Researcher III position is available in NLR’s Materials, Chemical and Computational Science Directorate on research efforts focused on the reliability and packaging of metal halide perovskite photovoltaic technologies including tandems. The initial, limited term, appointment is for one year, with possible of renewal and or transition to a regular appointment pending funding and performance in FY28. This position will focus on durability and packaging of perovskite-based solar cells and modules; including tandems. Responsibilities will include developing methods for packaging, conducting accelerated stress tests on samples and performing post-mortem root-cause analysis to understand the mechanisms for failure. This role would focus on analyzing degradation mechanisms in perovskite modules with a strong focus on perovskite module packing. This work would focus on correlating indoor testing and field-testing results for degradation in both packaging materials and the perovskite device itself. Candidates will be expected to communicate their results to internal stakeholders and in more traditional journal publications, and conference presentations. The candidate will be required to work closely with the Environment, Health, & Safety team to follow safe work procedures, as well as to handle waste properly and keep a clean, well-organized work environment.

Requirements

Relevant PhD, or relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience, or relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience.
Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Materials characterization skills such as SEM, EDS, XPS, XRD, EL, and PL as it relates to perovskite module materials.
Significant experience in packaging perovskite modules, including single junctions, 2T and 4T perovskite/Si tandems.
Ability to interface with researchers of different disciplines.
Ability to learn topics outside of area of expertise.
Demonstrates complete understanding and wide application of scientific technical procedures, principles, theories and concepts in the field.
General knowledge of other related disciplines.
Demonstrates leadership in one or more areas of team, task or project lead responsibilities.
Demonstrated experience in management of projects.
Strong technical writing, interpersonal and communication skills.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card.
Must pass a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana unless prohibited by state or local law).

Nice To Haves

Experience working with industry partners.

Responsibilities

Developing methods for packaging perovskite-based solar cells and modules, including tandems.
Conducting accelerated stress tests on samples.
Performing post-mortem root-cause analysis to understand failure mechanisms.
Analyzing degradation mechanisms in perovskite modules with a focus on perovskite module packing.
Correlating indoor testing and field-testing results for degradation in packaging materials and the perovskite device.
Communicating results to internal stakeholders, in journal publications, and conference presentations.
Working closely with the Environment, Health, & Safety team to follow safe work procedures.
Handling waste properly and maintaining a clean, well-organized work environment.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Short-term disability insurance
Long-term disability insurance
Pension benefits
403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match
Life insurance
Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
Personal time off (PTO) and sick leave
Paid holidays
Tuition reimbursement (Note: Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement)
Performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards (potential monetary component)
Relocation expense reimbursement (potential for some positions)