Postdoctoral Research Associate -RF Scientist/Engineer

Requisition Id 14115 

Overview:  

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on supporting the advancement of plasma heating and current drive and integrated radio frequency (RF) technology development as part of programs supported by the U.S. DOE Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) Program and other related public and private partnerships. This role is expected to involve the development of rf materials and technology across sub-scale and large test stands and facilities that support projects like U.S. ITER and the Material Plasma Exposure experiment (MPEX), and the U.S. ITER project which are supported by the U.S. DOE Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences (FES).

This position resides in the Fusion Technology Group of the Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology Section of the Fusion Energy Directorate (FED) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Engage and lead complex research and engineering projects involving high power sources, RF hardware and components, and plasma heating in fusion and related regimes.
• Analysis of complex RF systems involving RF sources, plasmas and their interactions in extreme environments including vacuum, magnetic field, and temperature.
• Determine research needs across fusion technology with an emphasis on RF environments and prepare work proposals, cost and schedule estimates, and risk assessment as required for delivery of custom solutions.
• Communicate results of analyses and experiments through presentations, reports, conference papers, and peer-reviewed journals.
• Work with industrial, university, and/or laboratory partners on multi-disciplinary projects and teams.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace- in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.
   

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD degree in physics or electrical engineering (or related field) completed within the past five years.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with RF environments with respect to plasma physics, sources and components, and plasma material interactions.
• Experience with scientific analysis software such as Python, MATLAB, or comparable equivalent.
• Experience with multi-physics simulation (e.g. COMSOL Multiphysics).
• Experience in experimental plasma physics or diagnostics preferred.
• Experience with plasma and/or neutral transport models and modeling codes.
• Experience with designing, building, and operating RF plasmas with integrated diagnostics and measurement systems for fusion plasma devices or comparable frequency regimes.
• Demonstrated ability to work individually and/or as part of a team, including participation at remote facilities, and contribute based on knowledge and experience.
• Experience with radio frequency equipment and components with frequencies from 1 MHz to 100 GHz and power levels approaching 500 kW.
• Familiarity with fusion relevant electron heating and ion cyclotron heating sources.

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.

Special Requirements:

Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You may upload these directly to your application or have them sent to Postdocrecruiting@Ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

About ORNL:

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for 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.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.