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.

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Organization 05253, Advanced CMOS Products/Design, is seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee to join their team using advanced CAD tools and CMOS semiconductor technologies to support Sandia’s development of neuromorphic computing based on analog in-memory computing with emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) devices. Your work will involve designing and modeling analog circuit blocks, memory array peripheral circuits, reconfigurable digital circuits, and integration of the memory, analog, and digital blocks into an accelerator system. The designs will be included in analog accelerator hardware prototypes that will be fabricated at Sandia’s MESA facility and at external foundries.

You will work with a cross functional team of researchers co-designing brain inspired analog compute architectures from the device level to algorithms. You will own portions of Integrated Circuit (IC) designs and/or explore design techniques to make these circuits more efficient to achieve extreme computing efficiency over digital implementations. You will also explore modeling and conditioning techniques of the NVM devices to better implement circuit solutions.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Design analog and digital circuit blocks for hardware prototypes.
• Develop Verilog-A models for emerging memory devices for neuromorphic computing.
• Develop new Vector Matrix Multiplication (VMM) array architectures.
• Conduct innovative research, publish, and present results in refereed journals and conferences.
• Develop and pursue new opportunities in areas that support Sandia Mission activities.
• Work in multidisciplinary teams.

This position is eligible for telecommuting and the selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary.

• A PhD in Electrical Engineering conferred within five (5) years prior to employment
• Proficiency in circuit design and design tools/workflows (for example Cadence tools)
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q clearance
  

• A record of publication and innovation, as evidenced by peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, technical books or issued patents
• Ability to work in a collaborative research environment on problems in a variety of domains
• Proficiency in solving problems, prioritizing work, and making decisions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Expertise in modeling devices, circuits, or in-memory computing architectures
• Experience in ASIC and VLSI design, including SPICE and Verilog-A
• Proficiency with programming languages including python or C++
• Experience hardware development and post silicon fabrication verification and characterization

The Advanced CMOS Products and Design department develops and maintains digital, analog, and mixed-signal design expertise. We have a deep understanding of technology offerings and design methodologies to provide custom microelectronic products and engineering services that fulfill the diverse needs of our customers (Nuclear Deterrence {ND} and Strategic Partnership Programs {SPP}). Customers include DOE weapons systems, satellite systems, the intelligence community, armed services, other government agencies, the Sandia research community, and commercial industry. We provide Trusted ASIC Design Services for both radiation-hardened and non-radiation-hardened Trusted Foundries (350nm down to 7nm). In addition to IC product development, the department works closely with our in-house radiation hardened CMOS technology group to maintain state-of-the-art radiation-hardened CMOS research, design, and production capability.

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*

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. 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.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

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.

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.