Sr. Materials Scientist – Grid Materials

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

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 Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy’s goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage. We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization. The Applied Materials and Manufacturing Group at PNNL is seeking a visionary and accomplished Senior Scientist to lead cutting-edge research in the development of novel conductive metals for advanced grid infrastructure. This role will drive new research supporting strategic initiatives at the intersection of materials science, nanotechnology, energy systems, and applied physics, with a focus on enabling transformative improvements in power grid and electric machines. This is an extraordinary opportunity to be part of a world-class, interdisciplinary research program that is pushing the envelope on next-generation composites manufacturing for a variety of technology applications. PNNL’s research in this area seeks to understand the underpinning physics of material evolution in polymers and metals with fillers/additives subjected to high strain at temperatures below melting during synthesis and to translate that understanding to application in a suite of scalable manufacturing platforms that can deliver materials and components with exceptional performance. The ideal candidate will bring a strong track record of scientific leadership, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and technology translation, with experience in either academic research, industrial innovation, or national laboratory environments. This position will be hands-on with SPP technologies such as friction extrusion and shear-assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE). The position holder will explore the relationship between processing conditions, microstructure, and performance. Development of material-and application-specific processing approaches, protocols, and parameters will be required. The successful candidate can expect to prepare manuscripts for publication, communicate research context and findings internally and externally, and develop new ideas for research. At the level of this Sr. Materials Scientist position, the expectations are that the researcher has developed a technical specialization within this domain and is working to grow their external reputation by advancing science and engineering principles and theories; developing innovative technical approaches to solve challenges; building a technical network within and external to PNNL; teaming with others to optimize research; and mentoring junior staff and students.

Requirements

BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant experience -OR-
MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant experience -OR-
PhD with 3+ year of relevant experience

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in industry R&D, academic research leadership, or national laboratory programs.
Familiarity with grid modernization challenges, energy transmission systems, and DOE or ARPA-E initiatives.
Experience with technology transfer, commercialization, or public-private partnerships.
Knowledge of computational materials design, AI/ML-driven discovery, or high-throughput experimentation.

Responsibilities

Lead and shape a research portfolio focused on ultra-conductive materials (e.g., ultra-conductors, superconductors, novel carbon-based metal systems) for grid, transportation, and infrastructure applications.
Develop and execute strategic research plans aligned with lab and national energy and manufacturing strategy priorities, and emerging grid modernization needs.
Mentor junior scientists and postdoctoral researchers, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and scientific excellence.
Build and sustain collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies.
Translate fundamental discoveries into scalable technologies through prototyping, testing, and techno-economic analysis.
Secure external funding through proposal development and stakeholder engagement.
Represent the organization in high-impact forums, including conferences, advisory panels, and technical working groups.

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.

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