We have an opening for a Materials Scientist who will be a core member of an interdisciplinary team working on a variety of technical challenges underlying fabrication of complex articles called targets in support of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL and other national security programs. Targets are intricate assemblies of numerous finely manufactured components and are comprised of the essential elements of experiments on these high energy density (HED) plasma generating systems. Consequently, they raise many interesting challenges whose resolution requires a combination of materials & chemical engineering and metrology science with a strong sense of real-world implementation of reliable new processes. You will be the technical lead for projects that seek to advancement of the science and technology of fabrication and characterization of critical components that are central to evolving our mission. This position is in the NIF Optics & Target Materials group of the Materials Science Division.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.

In this role you will

• Provide technical leadership and solutions to materials development projects with a goal of meeting the stringent requirements that are needed for HED experiments.
• Propose and spearhead new ideas and methodologies to investigate the multi-disciplinary science required to solve the complex needs of the program.
• Design and implement novel materials processing and characterization techniques including vapor and liquid phase deposition techniques, advanced microscopy, interferometry, X-ray imaging, as well as chemical analysis.
• Perform in-depth project planning and assignment of critical priorities and goals to ensure that all deliverables are met on time.
• Collaborate in the design, modeling, and analysis of laboratory experiments and develop fabrication equipment, measurement instrumentation, and procedures as required while maintaining high safety and security standards.
• Provide comprehensive data analysis to understand and resolve subtle problems and communicate research results as well as periodic progress reports.
• Train and mentor staff in new processes with specific emphasis on bringing projects to fruition with a basis of reliability and reproducibility.
• Periodically present results at external conferences, seminars and/or technical meetings and publish technical work in peer-reviewed scientific or technical journals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.4 level

• Provide technical solutions to complex problems which may not be well defined, direct and align projects to meet evolving strategic objectives, and independently resolve technical objectives
• Collaborate with technical area leaders, project leaders, and program management to represent technical capabilities and project results to internal management and external sponsors.
• Work on ways to continually update, improve and refine fabrication and characterization technologies using latest technical advances described in literature.