Chief Materials Scientist - Magnetic Materials

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorate s within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The Energy and Environment Directoratedeliversscience and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system;

and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management.

The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy’s goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage.

We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization.

The Applied Materials and Manufacturing Group within the Energy Processes & Materials Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking a Chief Materials Scientist to lead the technical direction and to advance research and development in magnetic materials for next-generation energy, electronics, and quantum technologies. This is an extraordinary opportunity to be part of a world-class, interdisciplinary research program that is pushing the envelope on next-generation functional materials manufacture for a variety of energy technology applications.

PNNL’s research in this area seeks to understand the underpinning physics of soft and hard magnetic materials, subject to composition and various processing methods, and translate that understanding to application. An emphasis is on how emerging process technologies like Solid-Phase Processing (SPP) can be used to synthesize bulk materials with enhanced magnetic properties, while reducing or eliminating the need for rare-earth elements.

This highly accomplished researcher has deep expertise in magnetic materials, functional materials, electrification technologies, and advanced manufacturing processes. The ideal candidate will lead research initiatives from mine-to-metal-to-functional devices
, focusing on rare-earth and rare-earth-free magnets, soft and hard ferrites, and magnetic composites for power electronics and defense applications. As a Chief Scientist, you will provide technical leadership and expertise to existing research efforts and collaborate with stakeholders to define and shape future research programs. Working with research teams and other business leaders, in collaboration with partners in industry, academia, and at other national laboratories, you will lead efforts to build new, high-visibility research programs that leverage advanced concepts in ferromagnetic materials and SPP methods to meet the technology goals of the Department of Energy and other key stakeholders.

This role requires a strong foundation in materials science, physics, and manufacturing operations
, with demonstrated excellence in research and innovation. This is an extraordinary opportunity to join a world-class…