The Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science is seeking qualified applicants to fill the position of Materials Characterization Specialist. The position is housed in Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL), which is a university-wide user facility dedicated to materials characterization, and reports to the MCL’s Core Facility Research Manager. The equipment housed in the MCL is available for education and scientific experiments in undergraduate, graduate, and research programs.

The specialist participates in the day-to-day operations of the MCL facility in support of research in all materials-related fields. As a core part of these responsibilities, the position is responsible for operations, maintenance and training related to instruments and equipment housed in the MCL. In addition, the position diagnoses and resolves equipment and instrument problems and calibrates equipment while also performing demonstrations and training for students and faculty on the proper operation of equipment in the MCL. Implementing and monitoring safety procedures and SOPs, quality control procedures and consistency across experiments is also a large part of the position’s responsibilities. The position aids students, post-doctoral researchers, faculty, and external collaborators in the execution of specific jobs for materials research projects and may design and fabricate equipment needed for materials characterization. The successful candidate will have a strong attention to detail as well as time management and organization skills.

Depending on the education and experience of the successful candidate, an offer of appointment may be made at either the rank of Research Associate, Senior Research Associate, or Research Scientist. Individuals with a PhD hired at the rank of Research Scientist are encouraged to conceptualize and advance a research agenda aligned with MCL and ICTAS strategic priorities. Research Scientists may operate as a PI/Co-PI on external grant applications and produce scholarly works suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals or presentation at national/international meetings.