Theory PhD Intern - Chemical Physics Theory
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. This part time internship will be approximately 20 hours per week. We are seeking a part time PhD Intern researcher in theoretical and computational chemical physics to join the Chemical Physics Theory Group in the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The research focuses on developing relativistic theoretical methods to model electron dynamics in hyperfine couplings, electric-field gradients, and L- or M-edge X-ray spectroscopies. This work combines relativistic electronic structure theory, many-body physics, and machine learning approaches. This theory position is based at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington and involves multi-institutional collaborations.
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
- Experience in ground- and excited-state relativistic electronic structure methods, and many-body physics
- Experience with scientific programming and code development
- Programming experience in Fortran, C++, and/or Python
- Experience with four component relativistic quantum chemistry methods
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience working in collaborative and interdisciplinary research environments
Responsibilities
- Develop relativistic theoretical methods and downfolding protocols for model systems and core spectroscopies
- Conduct research and collaborate with team members in a multi-institution research team
- Lead manuscript preparation and maintain a strong publication record in the peer-reviewed scientific literature
- Present research at technical conferences and project or program review meetings
- Communicate and collaborate with researchers across the multi-institution project team
- Participate in the development of research proposals as needed
Benefits
- Employees are offered an employee assistance program and business travel insurance.
- Employees are eligible for the company funded pension plan and 401k savings plan, once eligibility requirements are met.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
