Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization for Energy and Climate systems Postdoctoral Research Staff Me

Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is essential to innovation and creativity for continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range

$108,600 - $126,720 Annually

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

Job Description

We have multiple openings for postdoctoral researchers to conduct basic and applied research in the continuum modeling, simulation, and optimization of energy and climate systems. You will work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams to both apply existing commercial tools and develop custom physics-based modeling, simulation, and optimization codes in focus areas including energy generation, harvesting, storage, and conversion and carbon capture, storage, and conversion, and advanced manufacturing. These positions are in the Computational Engineering Division (CED), within the Engineering Directorate.

In this role you will

• Conduct research and development in the modeling and simulation of energy systems for energy generation, harvesting, storage and conversion and carbon capture, storage, and conversion, and advanced manufacturing.
• Develop and analyze continuum models to describe the local fluid flow and transport, mass and energy conservation, and chemical reactions describing energy systems (e.g., electrochemical reactors, flow batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, heat exchangers, absorbers, etc.).
• Employ and extend continuum (i.e., finite volume and/or finite element) commercial, open-source, and/or custom LLNL simulation codes to implement models and perform electrochemical simulations.
• Develop and implement High Performance Computing (HPC) algorithms and simulations for the optimal design of engineering systems governed by nonlinear, transient, multiscale, and multiple physical phenomena.
• Work with engineers and scientists to identify and solve challenging modeling, simulation, and design optimization problems.
• Pursue independent (but complementary) research interests and interact with a broad spectrum of scientists internal and external to the Laboratory. Collaborate with others in a multidisciplinary team environment to accomplish research goals.
• Publish research results in peer-reviewed scientific or technical journals and present results at external conferences seminars and/or technical meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in engineering, mathematics, computational science, or a related field.
• Experience developing or modifying models and/or simulations using continuum (finite-element/ finite-volume) approaches for a broad range of physical systems such as viscous fluid flow, flowing reactive mass transfer systems (e.g., chemical reactors, electrochemical reactors, fuel cells, combustion, etc.), electrochemical phenomena, conjugate heat transfer, mass transfer, and structural mechanics.
• Experience programming in C/C++ and scripting languages like Python/MATLAB.
• Experience with commercial (e.g., COMSOL, STAR-CCM+, Ansys/Fluent, etc.), open-source (e.g., OpenFOAM, FEniCS, Firedrake, etc.), and/or other common modeling, simulation, and optimization codes.
• Ability to develop independent research projects as demonstrated through publication of peer-reviewed literature.
• Proficient verbal and written communication skills needed to effectively collaborate in a multidisciplinary team environment, present and explain technical information, document work, and prepare and present successful proposals and high-quality research papers.

Qualifications We Desire

• Detailed knowledge of continuum-scale models for simulating electrochemical systems.
• Experience with homogenized and/or resolved formulations of partial differential equations (PDEs) for flow and transport in porous materials.
• Experience with explicit design sensitivity analysis via direct (forward) and adjoint (backward) methods applied to advanced shape/topology/design optimization techniques and algorithms.
• Experience with massively parallel computing and one or more associated parallel programming interfaces, such as MPI, OpenMP, or CUDA and/or open-source support libraries such as PETSc, TopOpt, or PARASOL.
• Experience with adaptive mesh refinement methods.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Position Information

This is a Postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of extension to a maximum of three years, open to those who have been awarded a PhD at time of hire date.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
• Our core beliefs - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values
• Employee engagement - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement

Security Clearance

This position requires either no security clearance, or a Department of Energy (DOE) L-level or Q-level clearance depending on the particular assignment.

If you are selected and a security clearance is required, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing. L and Q-level clearances require U.S. citizenship.

If no security clearance is required, but your assignment is longer than 179 days cumulatively within a calendar year, you must go through the Personal Identity Verification process. This process includes completing an online background investigation form and receiving approval of the background check. (This process does not apply to foreign nationals.)

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.