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Entry Level Material Science Engineering Jobs in Washington

Thorlabs

Epitaxy Engineer I

Jessup, MD

$85K/yr

Bachelor's degree in Material Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or Chemistry plus a minimum of 1 year experience in epitaxial wafer growth of arsenide/phosphide materials, material ...

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Entry Level Material Science Engineering information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Material Science Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Material Science Engineer, you need a solid background in materials science, chemistry, or engineering, typically supported by a bachelor's degree in a related field. Familiarity with laboratory techniques, materials characterization tools (such as SEM, XRD, or spectroscopy), and CAD software is often required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork are essential soft skills in this field. These skills and qualifications are crucial for ensuring precise material analysis, innovative problem-solving, and successful collaboration on engineering projects.

What does an entry level material science engineer do?

An entry level material science engineer assists in the research, development, and testing of materials used to create products and structures. They typically work under the supervision of experienced engineers to analyze material properties, conduct experiments, and help improve manufacturing processes. Their responsibilities may include preparing samples, running laboratory tests, recording data, and supporting the design of new materials for specific applications such as aerospace, electronics, or energy. These engineers play a crucial role in helping organizations develop innovative and efficient materials. The position usually requires a bachelor's degree in material science, engineering, or a related field.

What is the difference between Entry Level Material Science Engineering vs Entry Level Metallurgical Engineering?

AspectEntry Level Material Science EngineeringEntry Level Metallurgical Engineering
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Materials Science, Engineering, or related fieldBachelor's in Metallurgical Engineering or Materials Science
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, manufacturing plants, R&D departmentsMining sites, metal production facilities, manufacturing plants
Industry UsageAutomotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer productsMining, metal extraction, alloy development, manufacturing

Entry Level Material Science Engineering and Entry Level Metallurgical Engineering share foundational knowledge and often overlap in industries like manufacturing and R&D. However, Material Science focuses more on the properties and applications of materials, while Metallurgical Engineering emphasizes metal extraction and processing. Both roles typically require a bachelor's degree and involve work in labs or industrial settings, but their specific industry applications differ slightly.

What types of projects and tasks can I expect to work on as an entry-level material science engineer?

As an entry-level material science engineer, you will typically assist in the development, testing, and analysis of materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics, or composites. Your daily tasks may include preparing samples, conducting laboratory experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and supporting senior engineers in research or product development projects. You’ll also collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, such as mechanical and chemical engineers, to solve materials-related challenges and improve product performance. This hands-on experience is invaluable and often serves as a springboard for more advanced roles in research, quality assurance, or product design.
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs in Washington? For Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs in Washington look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs in Washington are:
What cities in Washington are hiring for Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs? Cities in Washington with the most Entry Level Material Science Engineering job openings:
Entry Level Material Science Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Material Science Engineering job openings in Washington as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 73% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 73% In-person, and 27% Remote job distribution.
NIST PREP Postdoc Associate in Material Flammability Testing and Modeling

NIST PREP Postdoc Associate in Material Flammability Testing and Modeling

Southeastern Universities Research Association

Gaithersburg, MD • On-site

$85K - $97K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.
Research Title: Material Flammability Testing and Modeling
U.S. Citizen Preferred
The work will entail: The fire modeling community is working to predict material flammability behavior quantitatively (e.g., ignition, burning rate, fire growth). State-of-the-art fire models require input parameters (material properties) that describe combustible solids' decomposition reaction mechanism (and associated kinetics and thermodynamics) and relevant heat/mass transport properties.
To address this need, the NIST Fire Research Division has been developing experimental and analytical tools to calibrate these material properties and validate their ability to predict flammability response across a range of configurations/scales (i.e., mg-scale thermal decomposition, g-scale gasification/burning, and flame spread over panels between 0.5 m and 2.5 m tall).
Working with the project leader, the researcher will develop and then lead the execution of experiments associated with the following tasks.
  • Developing a material flammability database that maintains the tools (experimental and analytical), measurement data (for model calibration and validation), and material property sets necessary to quantitatively predict material flammability behavior (e.g., ignition, steady burning, and fire growth).
  • Conduct and analyze the data from bench to full-scale thermal and fire property tests for fire model calibration and validation.
  • Produce and present publications on research

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
  • Assisting in the development, implementation, and leadership of a research plan to quantify fire growth rate, flame structure, condensed-phase response, and mass loss & heat release rate of combustible solids burning at the intermediate scale (emphasis on materials that deform; g., due to melt flow or charring/smoldering).
  • Applying and advancing state-of-the-arttechniques to quantify the mechanisms controlling material flammability; iterative development and implementation of analytical tools to process these results.
  • Development and execution of plans for transferring NIST research through meetings, workshops, and conferences; preparing and presenting measurement results (oral presentations and written reports)

Qualifications:
  • PhD in Engineering (fire protection, materials science, mechanical), Chemistry, Physics, or a related field
  • 2+ year(s) of relevant lab experience (i.e., experimental design and testing).
  • Excellent oral and written communication
  • Excellent time management and organizational skills.
  • Proficiency in programming/data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, MATLAB, Python, R).
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team to learn new activities and
  • Ability and enthusiasm to help lead early-career researchers as part of a research

Privacy Act StatementAuthority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)
Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor's degree holders, graduate students, master's degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.
PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.
Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.
SURA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion, or sexual orientation. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.
PREP0004131

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