Postdoctoral Research Associate - HPC System Architecture and Intelligent Storage Design

UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Prescription Drug Plan

Dental Plan

Vision Plan

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Job summary

UT-Battelle’s NCCS at ORNL seeks a postdoctoral research associate in HPC system architecture and intelligent storage design to advance scalable storage, telemetry-driven optimization, and performance analysis for HPC, scientific AI, and edge computing. The appointment is within the NCCS Technology Integration group and focuses on data-driven design decisions and system optimization.

The role requires a PhD in a relevant field and a record of HPC/AI/edge storage research, with potential for a

Qualifications

• PhD in computer science/engineering with an education and a research track record in HPC/AI/edge systems and storage research within past five years.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with researchers on data and storage-related HPC/AI/edge computing projects.
• Conduct I/O and storage performance characterization on multi-tier HPC storage systems.
• Collect, analyze telemetry data from HPC systems to inform design decisions and tuning.
• Explore DDR vs HBM usage and propose architectural improvements for memory-intensive workloads.
• Design episodic, user-configurable, and composable data/storage systems.
• Coauthor publications and presentations; engage with professional organizations.

Skills

HPC architecture

Intelligent storage design

Telemetry analysis

Performance modeling

Multi-tier storage

Education

PhD in CS/Engineering or related HPC/AI/edge/storage

Tools

HBM memory

DDR memory

Telemetry tools

System software development

Job description

Requisition Id 16766

Overview

The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a postdoctoral research associate in High-Performance Computing (HPC) system architecture and intelligent storage design. The candidate will contribute to research and development efforts in scalable storage and memory architectures, telemetry-driven system optimization, and application-driven performance analysis for HPC, scientific Artificial Intelligence (AI), and scientific edge computing.

This position is in the Technology Integration group within NCCS.

Specific Areas Of Research Interest Include

• Telemetry collection and analysis to inform system optimization, workload characterization, and predictive fault tolerance in HPC systems.
• Architectural exploration and performance modeling of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DDR memory systems in the context of data-intensive scientific computing.
• Redesign of storage systems to meet evolving demands in AI/ML and edge-to-HPC workflows, including support for data movement, retention policies, and user-defined storage behaviors.

Major Duties And Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal and external researchers on a variety of data and storage-related research projects for use cases in HPC, scientific AI, and scientific edge computing.
• Conduct I/O and storage performance characterization of HPC and scientific AI applications or libraries on multi-tier HPC storage systems.
• Collect, analyze, and leverage telemetry data from HPC systems to support data-driven design decisions and performance tuning.
• Explore trade-offs in DDR and HBM usage patterns, and propose architectural improvements for mixed-memory and bandwidth-intensive workloads.
• Design and evaluation of episodic, user-configurable, and composable data and storage systems.
• Design system-level approaches for time-sensitive or data-intensive processing of data originating at scientific edge systems using large-scale HPC/AI computational and storage systems.
• Coauthor peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and presentations.
• Seek membership and service opportunities in professional, academic, and research organizations.

Basic Qualifications

• A PhD in computer science/engineering or relevant area with an education and a research track record in HPC/AI/edge systems and storage research within past five years.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work independently to design and deploy methods at scale.
• Familiarity with hardware-software co-design, memory hierarchies (DDR, HBM), and system-level telemetry tools.
• Experience in HPC and associated software development for applications, middleware, and/or system software.
• Flexibility to adapt to diverse R&D projects and tasks.
• Effective communicator in both verbal and written forms.
• Ability to collaborate with scientists, engineers, and sponsors.
• Interest in mentoring student internships.

Applicants cannot have received their PhD more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.

Special Requirements

• HSPD-12 PIV badge: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an HSPD-12 PIV badge.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Employee Benefits

• Prescription Drug Plan
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Contributory Pension Plan
• Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits
• Generous Vacation and Holidays
• Parental Leave
• Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• Wellness Programs
• Educational Assistance
• Relocation Assistance
• Employee Discounts

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.