Postdoctoral Research Associate - Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Prescription Drug Plan

Dental Plan

Vision Plan

401(k) Retirement Plan

Relocation Assistance

Educational Assistance

Wellness Programs

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate focusing on Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (Lattice QCD) software development. The role emphasizes porting libraries to exascale architectures, performance optimization, and novel algorithm development.

Collaboration spans ORNL and the US Lattice QCD community, with mentoring within the NCCS/OLCF programs. The appointment is for one year, with potential renewal based on performance and funding,

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field earned within the last five years or sooner.
• Strong computational science background and large-scale code experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, team environment.
• Experience with lattice QCD software packages (Chroma, CPS, MILC, QUDA, Grid) is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with C/C++ and accelerator programming models (CUDA, HIP, SYCL, OpenMP, Kokkos or Raja) and MPI.
• Experience in heterogeneous computing and profiling parallel algorithms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with ORNL researchers to apply resources of the OLCF effectively.
• Develop and port scalable science applications and algorithms for leadership-class systems.
• Debug and tune high-performance applications.
• Develop performance models for future architectures using proxy or mini-apps.
• Apply large-scale computational methods to achieve scientific objectives.
• Publish results in journals, conferences and technical reports.

Skills

C/C++

HPC

Parallel computing

Communication skills

Education

PhD in theoretical physics, computational physics, computer science, applied mathematics, computational science or related field

Tools

Chroma

CPS

MILC

QUDA

Grid

CUDA

HIP

SYCL

Kokkos

MPI

Job description

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Postdoctoral Research Associate - Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics

The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) provides state-of-the-art computational and data science infrastructure for technical and scientific professionals to accelerate scientific discovery and engineering advances across a broad range of disciplines. As an important part of the broader High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, the division also hosts the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), a Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility. The OLCF has the charge to develop and apply transformational computational science capabilities in support of dramatic advances in our understanding of the physical world and using that knowledge to address the most pressing national and international concerns. It delivers leadership- class computing for science and engineering; focuses on grand-challenge science and engineering applications; procures largest-scale computer systems (beyond typical vendor design points) and develops high-end operational and application software; and educates and trains the next generation of computational scientists.

A postdoctoral associate position is available immediately for candidates interested in and capable of performing leading-edge computational science research and development with a focus on the development of software for calculations in lattice quantum chromodynamics (Lattice QCD). Areas of specific interest include the porting of lattice QCD libraries to the Exascale Architectures (e.g. Frontier at OLCF) and/or emerging programming models (HIP, SYCL, Kokkos, etc), software optimization and/or algorithmic research and development in the areas of gauge field generation, linear and eigen-solvers, or novel analysis methods. This position will reside in the Advanced Computing for Nuclear, Particle and Astrophysics Group within the Science Engagement section of NCCS. Members of this group partner with NCCS users in the areas of areas of computational Astronomy, Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics to enable, promote and optimize the use of, and to maximize the benefits of using the world class facilities provided byNCCS.

The successful candidate will be mentored and teamed with a staff member in the Scientific Computing Group in the OLCF, and will collaborate with leading computer and computational scientists at ORNL and in the US Lattice QCD community in the development and application of new computational techniques specifically targeted at the key DOE Office of Science and other missions. The appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, depending on performance and the availability of funding.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Work closely with ORNL researchers in using the resources of the OLCF effectively and efficiently,including:
• Developing and porting of scalable science applications and algorithms for OLCF and other leadershipcomputers.
• Debugging and tuning applications for high performance.
• Developing performance models of existing scalable applications for future architectures through the use of proxy or mini-applications.
• Applying large-scale computational methodologies to meet scientific objectives.
• Conduct research and report results in journal publications, conference papers and technical manuals.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in theoretical physics, computational physics, computer science, applied mathematics, computational science or a related discipline, earned no more than five years prior to the date of the application

Preferred Qualifications

• A strong computational science background in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics or related field. Deep understanding of application development techniques (programming models, algorithms, software) at scale (large processor counts).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, and strong personalmotivation.
• The ability to work in a dynamic, team environment.
• Experience with one or more prominent computational science software packages in the area of Lattice Gauge Theories (Chroma, CPS, MILC, QUDA, Grid, etc.) is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with C/C++ and accelerator application programming models such as CUDA, HIP, SYCL, OpenMP, Kokkos or Raja, vectorization; MPI; and one-sided asynchronous programming models.
• Experience in heterogeneous computing, developing and debugging massively parallel algorithms and code performance profiling are a plus.

Special Requirements

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. 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.

Security, Credentialing, and Eligibility Requirements

For employment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a Real ID compliant form of identification will be required. Additionally, ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation.

To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year. This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

For foreign national candidates

If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment.

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

Other benefits include the following

• 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.