Senior/Principal Diagnostic Scientist - X-ray Instrumentation, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories

Albuquerque, USA

Job posting number: #7310230 (Ref:Sa695711)

Posted: June 12, 2025

Job Description

About Sandia:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

  • Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
  • Extraordinary co-workers
  • Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
  • Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
  • Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
  • Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

The X-ray Diagnostics and Experimental Systems group is seeking a highly motivated and innovative scientist to lead the development of advanced x-ray imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation for experiments conducted on the Z Machine the world's most powerful pulsed-power facility.

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in high-energy-density (HED) physics, working closely with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technologists. This position will involve close collaboration across several organizations within the Pulsed Power Sciences Center at Sandia to lead the development of new x-ray imaging and spectroscopic diagnostics aimed at addressing key questions about the hot plasmas generated with the Z-machine, as well maintain our Center's leadership in advancing x-ray instrumentation across the high-energy-density (HED) physics community.

On any given day, you may be called to:

  • Lead the design, development, and deployment of novel x-ray diagnostics for Z Machine experiments.
  • Analyze x-ray imaging and spectroscopic data to extract physical insights into hot plasma behavior.
  • Develop and apply calibration techniques for existing and new x-ray diagnostics
  • Troubleshoot deployed systems and ensure the delivery of high-quality experimental data.
  • Collaborate across organizations within the Pulsed Power Sciences Center and with external partners.
  • Present your research at national and international conferences.
  • Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Travel occasionally (2 - 3 weeks per year) for collaboration or conference participation.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range:

$114,000 - $227,500

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require:

  • PhD in plasma physics, electrical engineering, nuclear physics or related field STEM Field or a Master's degree in a relevant STEM and four years of equivalent experience must be engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a multi-pronged team of experimental and computational scientists as well as engineers and technologists
  • Experience in developing x-ray imaging or x-ray spectroscopy instrumentation (1-100 keV) for HED physics experiments
  • Experience with carrying out experiments on large HED facilities
  • Experience with computational ray-tracing for x-ray optics
  • Knowledge of atomic physics in hot plasmas and analysis of x-ray spectral data
  • Knowledge of electronic and passive x-ray detectors
  • Strong publication and presentation record
  • Ability to effectively collaborate across multiple institutions

About Our Team:

The X-ray Diagnostics and Experimental Systems department (01681) is within Pulsed Power Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories. We collaborate closely with principal investigators across the center and support experiments on the Z-machine by developing and fielding novel x-ray diagnostics and detectors. This team is part of the Radiation, Electrical and High Energy Density Science (REHEDS) Research Foundation at Sandia.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

Job ID: 695711

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F



All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.


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Job posting number:#7310230 (Ref:Sa695711)
Application Deadline:Open Until Filled
Employer Location:Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque,New Mexico
United States
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