Overview:

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a ceramist, ceramics engineer, or material scientist with strong technical writing skills and demonstrated laboratory skills in mechanical testing and characterization of multifaceted material powders.

This Technical Professional position will directly support the Program Director, Deputy Director, and team of principal investigators with new and existing projects. In this role, the selected candidate will interact with, support, and collaborate with a diverse multi-disciplinary team of research professionals, assisting in the characterization of material mechanical responses of ceramic powders and similar material science research. As a very significant effort and as a way to familiarize the selected candidate with the breadth and depth of the team’s research, the selected candidate will be responsible for writing technical reports from partial documentation and from archived material samples, working with the original researchers to ensure that the technical reports adequately and fairly represent the work performed. This will involve close collaboration with the original researchers to solicit their feedback and comments on the written documentation and to incorporate said feedback into the documentation. The selected candidate will also work closely with a dedicated technical editor, who is responsible for editing and formatting all of the work products. The selected candidate will interface extensively with the program office’s dedicated records management team, ensuring that the documentation produced is archived on the appropriate system(s) of record. Finally, the selected candidate will interface with the ORNL publication review and clearance processes including RESolution.

Because most of the technical information relates to ceramic materials, material processing, material characterization, and mechanical testing, the selected candidate will also support the ongoing material science work in the laboratory, conducting materials science research including mechanical property testing and characterization in close coordination with the other team members. The share of hands-on laboratory work will likely increase as the selected candidate gains familiarity with the prior work through the development of previously described technical reports.

This position resides in the Ceramics and Ceramic Composites (CCC) Group, Materials Processing Science (MPSE) Section of the Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD), Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD) and involves collaboration with ORNL's National Security Sciences Directorate's Nuclear Nonproliferation Division. The individual will also interact and coordinate with other team members in other ORNL Research Divisions.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Independently write technical reports summarizing material descriptions and experimentation while collaboratively interpreting results and providing recommendations for future work, based on experiments performed by the team over the past decade.
• Coordinate the completion of the reports and their documentation through interaction with a technical editor, records managers, and the ORNL publication and release system.
• Collaboratively perform mechanical evaluations of a wide range of materials including ceramics.
• Collaborate on the identification of techniques/equipment and interpretation of results from ceramic powder characterization and processing.
• Communicate status updates of current work to principal investigator(s) and program management.
• Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, health, and quality program requirements.
• Maintain strong dedication to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

   

Basic Qualifications:

• BS degree in materials science, ceramic engineering or related engineering field.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience or 1 year with advanced degree.
• Experience with mechanical testing and ceramic powder characterization (e.g., particle size distribution, specific surface area, pycnometry and x-ray diffraction, and tap density).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent technical writing skills.
• Master’s degree in ceramic engineering or materials science.
• Experience measuring the mechanical properties of brittle materials.
• Experience with mechanical compaction of materials.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

Special Requirements:

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.
• This position requires submission to random and incident-specific polygraphs.
• Work involves various physical requirements and working conditions. As such, a pre-hire physical will be required after offer.

About ORNL:

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.