Multi-Physics Simulations Postdoctoral Researcher

Los Alamos National Security LLC; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 68,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k) with matching and relocation

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory seeks an agile postdoctoral researcher to drive the Fury and HOSS high-velocity physics model development. You will lead C++/Kokkos based simulations, connect laboratory measurements to predictive models, and collaborate with experimentalists and university partners in a fast-moving national security research environment.

The role emphasizes independent and collaborative research, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at national/international

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or related STEM field.
• Demonstrated strength in scientific computing and model development.
• Strong publications record and ability to publish and present.

Responsibilities

• Lead model and simulation development for high-velocity physics problems.
• Analyze experimental data to validate models and simulations.
• Collaborate with experimentalists, modelers, and university partners.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Skills

Scientific computing

Computational physics

Numerical methods

C/C++ programming

Research ability

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Experiment-informed modeling

Education

PhD in Physics or related STEM field

Tools

GPU computing

Kokkos

Parallel programming

High-performance computing

Job description

What You Will Do

The Fury and HOSS model development teams at Los Alamos National Laboratory seek an agile postdoctoral researcher to support next-generation high-velocity physics model and simulation development for national security applications.

You will lead model and simulation development across a range of high-velocity physics problems, grounded in laboratory measurements and experimental data.

Working alongside experimentalists and modelers, you will connect laboratory measurements to HOSS shock physics modeling and to Fury simulations of complex, mission-relevant environments.

Fury is a C++/Kokkos, GPU-based compressible fluid dynamics model for large-scale, high-fidelity simulation. HOSS is a hybrid multi-physics capability that integrates computational fluid dynamics with finite element and discrete element methods in a parallel framework for complex engineering and scientific problems.

You will join a collaborative team spanning experiments, computational physics, and national security applications, and interact directly with relevant university research partners in a complex, fast-moving research environment.

Our work connects laboratory measurements, high-fidelity modeling, and large-scale simulation to tackle national defense challenges.

What You Need

You will have a strong background in science, engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related STEM field, and a strong interest in experiment-informed model and simulation development.

The role centers on developing and validating physics-based models and simulations, analyzing measurements and simulation outputs, and using experimental data to improve computational model development. You will work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team of experimentalists and modelers, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national and international conferences.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Demonstrated strength in scientific computing, computational physics, numerical methods, or model development.
• Strong programming experience in C/C++ or a related language, with interest in developing production scientific software.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent and collaborative research.
• Strong written and oral communication, supported by peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively in diverse, multidisciplinary teams, including communicating across disciplines, integrating different perspectives, and contributing to shared project outcomes.

Education/Experience: A Ph.D. in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Atmospheric or Earth System Science, Materials Science, or a related STEM field.

Candidates must have completed all Ph.D. requirements within the last five years or complete them by the start of the appointment.

Desired Qualifications

• Compressible fluid dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, or shock physics.
• Modeling fracture, fragmentation, and large deformation processes.
• GPU computing, Kokkos, parallel programming, or performance-portable scientific software.
• C/C++ model development for large-scale simulation.
• Multi-physics simulation frameworks coupling fluid, solid, or particle methods.
• Validation of high-fidelity physics models against experiments.
• Experimental diagnostics, measurement analysis, or laboratory data interpretation.
• Large language model coding harnesses for scientific software development.
• Running large-scale models on high-performance computing resources.
• National security applications involving complex physical environments.
• Ability to obtain Q level clearance, which usually requires U.S. citizenship.

Work Environment

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Appointment: This is a two-year postdoctoral appointment.

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Where You Will Work

• PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
• Dental and vision insurance
• Free basic life and disability insurance
• Paid childbirth and parental leave
• Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
• Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
• Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
• Onsite gyms and wellness programs
• Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)

Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.

New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to [e-mail] or call (505)-664-6947.