Scientist / Senior Scientist / Principal Scientist

We are looking for an outstanding, hands-on scientist or engineer with an in-depth materials science knowledge, to join our sensor development efforts. Work will focus on sputtering, characterization and iterative optimization of the magnetic materials and stacks used in our system – both on bare substrates as well as on functional sensor devices. The ideal candidate will have experience with sputter deposition and advanced characterization of magnetic thin films, at both DC and RF frequencies, as well as a strong technical understanding of magnetism, magnetoelectric materials and magnetization dynamics. The candidate will be required to work closely with other members of the materials and engineering teams to meet project objectives and to bring Sonera's biomagnetic sensing platform to market. This person should be confident in taking on project management responsibilities, and comfortable with creative problem solving in a startup environment.Typical base salary is in the $130,000 to $180,000 range; actual salary can be more or less than the posted range and will be determined based on the individual’s applicable skills, education, qualifications and experience for the role. Position title (Scientist / Senior Scientist / Principal Scientist) will be dependent on the individual’s applicable skills, education, qualifications, and experience for the role.Responsibilities:Use in-house sputter deposition tool to sputter thin-film materials and stacks on a variety of substrates and devices (materials, sizes, and patterning conditions)Test and characterize high-frequency (RF) electrical and magnetic properties of sputtered thin films (on bare substrates) and patterned devices (on printed circuit boards) using both standard measurement hardware as well as custom-built systemsBuild statistical models to correlate device performance to materials design & processing and iteratively optimizeDevelop and execute team plans to validate device performance towards the goal of achieving preset performance metrics for Sonera’s sensorsConduct materials design reviews and provide technical support to other team members, be proactive in identifying and resolving technical problemsManage the materials product development cycle including design, fabrication, testing, review and optimizationCore skills and Education:PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related fieldExperience with physical vapor deposition of metals, oxides, magnetic and dielectric materialsExperience optimizing film stacks – deposition parameters, film thicknesses, film composition, material selection, etc.Experience with electrical and magnetic characterization tools and techniquesExperience with studying processing-structure-property correlations and iteratively optimizing film stacksExperience in coding & scripting and data analysis softwareStrong problem solving and critical thinking skills, strong multi-tasking and time management skillsPreferred Qualifications and Experience:PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field and 3+ years of industry experience in materials processing, optimization and design for product development cyclesStrong experience with sputter deposition of thin-film magnetic materials and stacks, and in integrating deposited materials with devices and optimizing the performance of a combined systemStrong experience with magnetic thin film device physics and device characterization, e.g., magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) or magnetic random access memory (MRAM)Strong experience with a broad assortment of materials characterization tools (e.g., XRD, SEM, XPS), static magnetic (e.g., VSM, MPMS) as well as high frequency magnetic characterization (e.g., FMR)Strong knowledge of engineering data analysis (inferential statistics, DOE’s, regression) and statistical software (JMP, Minitab)Strong theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience with magnetic and multiferroic materialsExcellent communication skills - verbal and written

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