Postdoctoral Research Associate - Workflow Systems Group

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 68,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Frontier supercomputer access

DOE research environment

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance AI-ready scientific data and optimized workflows for diverse HPC applications. You will design system software, automate data ingestion and AI workflows, and collaborate with world-class researchers on Frontier and other DOE resources.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in a related field, a strong publication record, and experience with HPC, AI/ML, and distributed systems.

Qualifications

• PhD completed within the last five years.
• Publication record in top peer-reviewed journals/conferences.
• Experience with HPC, AI/ML and/or distributed systems techniques.
• Proficiency in Python, C++ or similar; experience with HPC environments.
• Hands-on experience developing scientific data management, workflows and resource management problems.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement system software to enable AI-readiness for scientific data and adaptive data/metadata relationships.
• Collaborate on automating and optimizing interactions between large simulations, data ingestion and AI processes.
• Develop agentic AI systems to enhance model quality, resource optimization and adaptive execution in workflows.
• Investigate strategies to balance performance and resilience across heterogeneous resources while meeting workflow requirements.
• Validate distributed intelligence algorithms on ORNL resources including Frontier; report results with domain experts.
• Present findings in peer-reviewed venues and collaborate across teams.

Skills

HPC experience

AI/ML

Distributed systems

Python

C++

Parallel computing

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science or related

Job description

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Workflow Systems Group

The Data and AI Systems Research Section/Workflow systems Group within the Computer Science and Mathematics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in data management, workflow management, High Performance Computing (HPC), machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to enhance our capabilities in making AI-ready scientific data. As a postdoctoral fellow at ORNL, you will collaborate with a dynamic team of scientists and engineers, leveraging cutting-edge resources; most notably the Frontier supercomputer, the world's first exascale computing system. This is a unique opportunity to engage in transformational research that advances the development of AI-ready scientific data, optimized workflows, and distributed intelligence across the computing continuum.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead and contribute to cutting-edge research aimed at transforming scientific data management and workflows to enable AI-readiness at scale. You will work on designing system software for automating processes such as intelligent data ingestion, preservation of data/metadata relationships, and distributed optimization of machine learning workflows. Collaborating with world-class scientists, you will enhance your expertise in resource optimization, scalable computing techniques, fault resilience, and advanced AI applications. This role offers unparalleled access to ORNL’s world-leading computational resources, including the Frontier supercomputer, and the chance to make meaningful contributions to DOE's mission-critical scientific domains.

Roles and responsibilities include, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

• Design and implement system software to enable AI-readiness for scientific data by developing adaptive techniques capable of maintaining relationships between data and metadata.
• Collaborate on innovative solutions to automate and optimize the interplay between large scientific simulations, data ingestion, and AI processes (e.g., model training, inference).
• Develop agentic AI systems and AI harnessing techniques to enhance model quality, resource optimization, and adaptive execution in diverse workflows.
• Investigate strategies to balance performance and resilience across heterogeneous computational resources while addressing workflow requirements for scientific applications.
• Validate distributed intelligence algorithms at scale on ORNL's computational resources, including the Frontier supercomputer, addressing critical challenges in science and engineering.
• Communicate and coordinate experimental results with other domain experts to facilitate collaboration.
• Present and report research results and publish scientific results in peer-reviewed journals or conferences.

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, or related discipline completed within the last five years.
• An excellent record of productive and creative research as demonstrated by publications in top peer-reviewed journals and conferences
• Demonstrated research experience with HPC, AI/ML and/or distributed systems techniques.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C++, or similar, as well as experience with HPC environments and parallel computing.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience and understanding of developing scientific data management, workflows and resource management problems.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with AI-readiness pipelines, particularly in integrating scientific data with AI workflows.
• Familiarity with concepts like metadata management, parameter space coverage, or agentic AI.
• Prior exposure to DOE workflows or national laboratory environments
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative and frequently interacting teams of researchers.

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.

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.

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, and Employee Discounts.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

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.