Research Technologist

What You Will Do

The Sigma Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is seeking a highly motivated individual for the position of Additive Coating Technologist 1/2 with a focus on optimizing thermal spray coatings for a wide variety of materials and applications. This work involves programming and operation of robots. The selected candidate will work with a team to creatively apply their additive, coating, or robotic experience to a growing number of research programs, supporting production operations at NNSA sites, develop process solutions to spray coating challenges, and assist in maturing thermal spray processes within the nuclear weapons complex.

In this role you will directly interface with a variety of internal and external collaborators, including universities, private industry, and other government laboratories.

This position resides on Sigma-2's Additive Manufacturing Team which oversees a wide variety of solutions to meet research and customer requirements, including: metal spray coatings, laser powder bed fusion, electron beam additive manufacturing, ceramic additive manufacturing, and associated processing. Team members often work in multiple disciplines and have the opportunity to learn new methods, as well as develop new techniques. Team research centers on many areas, including weapons, defense, aerospace, global security, nuclear energy, accelerator physics, fuel production methods, repair technologies, sensors, and more.

If you are passionate about pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing and have the technical expertise to make a real impact, we encourage you to apply. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, innovative team and contribute to the development of cutting‑edge manufacturing solutions.

The successful level 1 candidate will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Demonstrated experience in robotics (programming or operation).
• Experience maintaining laboratory space, organization, routine maintenance, calibration of laboratory instruments and equipment, tracking and maintaining lab supplies.
• Provide training to new lab personnel on equipment use, safety protocols, and lab procedures.
• Demonstrated expertise in working independently and within a team environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in meeting scheduled deliverables or milestones.
• Fluent in common software packages (Microsoft, Excel, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in written documentation in the form of process documentation, procedures, or safety documentation.

The successful level 2 candidate will perform the following additional duties and responsibilities:

• Demonstrate familiarity with thermal spray coating technology.
• Demonstrated extensive expertise in robotics (programming or operation).
• Demonstrated expertise in written documentation in the form of process documentation, procedures, or safety documentation.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of ideas with minimal supervision to optimize capability maintenance and growth in technology areas.
• Familiar with mechanical and electrical systems of industrial equipment related to machining and additive manufacturing areas.
• Demonstrated mentoring and leadership capabilities.

Position requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution and 2 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Position requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution and 5 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

• Experience developing and implementing process monitoring equipment and procedures.
• Experience troubleshooting and repairing any malfunctioning equipment.
• Experience preparing procedures, reports, papers, presentations, or other scientific publications.
• Experience developing or contributing to novel ideas written into proposals or presented to both…