About This Career

Designs, develops, or supervises the production of materials, devices, or systems of unique molecular or macromolecular composition, applying principles of nanoscale physics and electrical, chemical, or biological engineering.

This career is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics cluster Engineering and Technology pathway.

A person in this career:

• Provides scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems.
• Supervises technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production.
• Conducts research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, or nanolithography.
• Synthesizes, processes, or characterizes nanomaterials, using advanced tools or techniques.
• Prepares reports, delivers presentations, or participates in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations.
• Designs or conducts tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems.
• Creates designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes.
• Writes proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies.
• Generates high-resolution images or measures force-distance curves, using techniques such as atomic force microscopy.
• Develops processes or identifies equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work
• Regular working hours and limited travel