Glacier Federal is seeking a Research Scientist to provide onsite research support to our customer Natick, Massachusetts. This position evaluates the thermal performance of Arctic and cold-weather personal protective equipment, with an emphasis on military boots, socks, footwear liners, and related materials, to improve protection against frostbite and other cold injuries.
What You'll Do- Develop and execute research plans evaluating cold-weather PPE and footwear using whole-body and sectional heated thermal manikins.
- Independently operate, calibrate, troubleshoot, and maintain thermal manikins, including systems comparable to Thermetrics ANDI and sectional hand or foot manikins.
- Analyze thermal-performance data and develop algorithms that predict footwear insulation using manikin results and material properties.
- Conduct scientific literature reviews related to footwear, cold-weather protection, frostbite, heat transfer, and textile performance.
- Evaluate how socks, liners, and other materials affect footwear performance and support the selection and procurement of military and commercial Arctic PPE research references.
- Support human-subject research examining physiological responses to boot and sock systems in Arctic or simulated-Arctic environments.
- Document research methods, activities, results, and progress in accordance with USARIEM procedures and contract requirements.
- Collaborate with Government scientists, engineers, research personnel, and multidisciplinary laboratory teams; occasional authorized CONUS travel may be required.
What You Bring- Master's degree in textile science or textile engineering.
- Extensive hands-on experience independently operating whole-body and sectional thermal manikins with minimal technical guidance.
- Knowledge of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and the thermal performance of textiles and clothing.
- Strong scientific documentation, data-analysis, research-planning, organizational, and communication skills.
- Interest or experience in physiology, human science, biomedical engineering, or human-clothing interactions.
- Experience with manikin calibration and maintenance; mathematical or thermal modeling; human-subject research; cold-weather PPE or footwear testing; environmental physiology; or military research laboratories is preferred.
- U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a favorably adjudicated Tier 1 background investigation, installation access, and a Common Access Card if required.
- Ability to work onsite Monday through Friday, including core hours of 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., and complete required Government safety, security, privacy, and laboratory training.
What We OfferGlacier Federal, LLC offers a competitive benefits package that includes paid holidays; paid time off, including sick and vacation leave; medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; short- and long-term disability coverage; company-paid life insurance; a 401(k) plan with company match and discretionary profit sharing; and tuition reimbursement.
