Distinguished R&D Staff - Extreme Environment Metals Processing

Requisition Id 15112 

­­Overview:  

The Deposition Science & Technology (DS&T) Group within the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Distinguished Research Staff Member with extensive experience in the melting and casting, powder feedstock manufacture and characterization, and additive manufacturing of materials for extreme environments, with an emphasis on nickel and refractory materials to support national priorities in advanced manufacturing, energy, and defense.

 

This position directly contributes to programs at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), the Department of Energy’s (DOE) premier institute for scaling and deploying additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. You will lead the development of feedstocks for extreme environment metals to meet the needs for advanced manufacturing processing. This role provides the opportunity to drive materials innovation for extreme environments, with impact across DOE mission areas, and with strategic industrial partners.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Lead research in melting, casting, and alloying of refractory metals (e.g., W, Mo, Ta, Nb) using vacuum arc remelting, electron beam, plasma, or induction furnaces.
• Drive feedstock development for additive manufacturing programs, ensuring powders meet performance requirements for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), directed energy deposition (DED), and other advanced AM modalities.
• Integrate powder R&D efforts with MDF pilot-scale AM capabilities, including powder reuse studies, flowability optimization, and material qualification.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support supply chain resilience and domestic production capabilities of strategic refractory materials for defense systems.
• Utilize characterization techniques (e.g., SEM, XRD, ICP-MS, EBSD, etc) to assess chemical purity, microstructure, and thermal/mechanical properties.
• Serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on DoD and DOE-funded programs, lead proposal efforts and strategic collaborations with federal agencies and industrial partners.
• Mentor early-career researchers, postdocs, and students, while supporting an inclusive and collaborative workplace.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success. 

 

Basic Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or a closely related field with 12+ years of relevant research experience; or M.S. with 16+ years of applied experience in materials processing or manufacturing.
• Proven expertise in extreme environment metal melting and powder synthesis, including experience with vacuum/inert atmosphere systems.
• Proven experience in the operations of additive manufacturing systems
• Strong track record of technical leadership, peer-reviewed publications, and program development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance (required for work involving export-controlled and classified materials).

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• A demonstrated experience in developing AM feedstocks tailored to performance requirements.
• Experience working in or collaborating with universities, industry, and national laboratories.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and contributing to cross-party initiatives.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

 

Special Requirements:

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

   

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require pas