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 vacations, 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:

Are you interested in advancing foundational bioscience and biotechnology at the cutting edge of science and national security? Are you interested in research that will enable Sandia National Laboratories’ national security mission success by advancing the frontiers of biological science, biotechnology, and synthetic biology? If so, you could join our dynamic team as Sandia’s next Barbara McClintock Postdoctoral Fellow!

Sandia’s McClintock Postdoctoral Fellowship was established in honor of Nobel-Prize winner, Barbara McClintock. McClintock’s pioneering work in maize demonstrated that genes are responsible for turning physical characteristics on and off, and her theories explained the suppression and expression of genetic information from one generation to the next.

As a Sandia McClintock Postdoctoral Fellow, you will spend half of your time on your own original, self-directed research and half of your time integrated with existing Sandia R&D projects, all under the guidance of Sandia staff mentors. Proposed research should aim to advance one of the following goals:

• Predict and control organism behavior for a resilient bioeconomy and/or effective biodefense.
• Engineer secure novel biological systems that advance biomanufacturing, strengthen bioremediation, deter threats, and/or support countermeasure design.
• Discover chemical and biological signatures and develop broad-spectrum sensing approaches for early warning, rapid response, and attribution.
• To accelerate these goals, devise and deploy data capture, data analysis, uncertainty quantification, artificial intelligence, and autonomous experimentation.

Selected Fellows will receive a two-year appointment with the potential option for a third year. Fellows will also receive a highly competitive salary, moving expenses if applicable, an equipment budget, and a generous professional travel allowance. You are expected to publish the results of your work in leading journals and present it at top-tier conferences. Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. This position may be located in Livermore, CA or Albuquerque, NM. Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories. The annual salary for this position is $111,600 (NM) or $127,500 (CA).

To apply for the McClintock Fellowship:

• Read the McClintock Fellowship Application Guidelines (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/10/McClintock\Application\Guidelines.pdf) .
• Click “Apply for Job” on this page and apply to the job posting by submitting a CV online to this job (job ID 694042).
• Submit an application packet to mcclintockfellowship@sandia.gov with “2025 McClintock Fellowship” as the subject line. Application packet should include a Cover Sheet, Interest Statement, and Proposal (See McClintock Fellowship Application Guidelines (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/10/McClintock\Application\Guidelines.pdf) ).
• Have three references directly submit a letter of recommendation to mcclintockfellowship@sandia.gov with “2025 McClintock Fellowship - LOR” as the subject line.
• Complete applications received no later than by Thursday January 2 at 5 PM Mountain Standard Time will receive full consideration.
• For more information on the McClintock Fellowship, please visit: Barbara McClintock Bioscience Fellowship (https://www.sandia.gov/careers/career-possibilities/students-and-postdocs/fellowships/barbara-mcclintock-fellowship/)

Qualifications We Require:

• PhD in a field relevant to biological sciences, conferred within the past three years, or anticipated completion of PhD requirements by commencement of appointment
• A background that includes relevant research experience as evidenced by a strong record of research publications and presentations

Qualifications We Desire:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship
• Proven ability to advance the state-of-the-art in biological sciences, bioengineering, and/or related fields of study
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Proven research community leadership through activities such as participation in student or professional organizations, outreach activities, etc.
• Related professional experience such as internships in industry or national labs, participation in visiting research programs, etc.
• Ability to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment alongside specialists in other domains
• A commitment to encourage an inclusive culture, as demonstrated through your application materials

About Our Team:

The Bioscience Research Foundation (RF), an investment area under Sandia’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, advances foundational bioscience and biotechnology at the cutting edge of science and national security. Our objective is to enable Sandia’s national security mission success by advancing the frontiers of biological science, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.

The team is composed of expert scientists, researchers, and engineers performing exploratory science and developing technologies to address pressing national needs in energy security and national defense. Through extensive partnerships with experts and world class researchers inside and outside of Sandia, the Bioscience Research Foundation is focused on understanding and countering natural, traditional and engineered biological threats, as well developing solutions to decarbonize the industry and the energy sectors and enhance domestic biomanufacturing capabilities. Our key sponsors which include the DOE Office of Science (BER and BES), the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, NNSA, ARPA-E, DoD, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, DHS, and the NIH.

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:

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. 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.

Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract. All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.

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: 694042

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

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.