Postdoctoral Researcher — Edge Neuromorphic AI & SNNs

UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation Assistance

On-site amenities

Flexible work hours

Job summary

UT-Battelle's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to advance spiking neural networks on edge platforms. You will perform impactful research and apply methods across science and engineering domains.

You will develop low-level software and firmware for SNNs, evaluate hardware-software co-design approaches, and publish results in peer-reviewed venues. Collaborate with global experts, present at conferences, and contribute to education and outreach while advancing

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or closely related field.
• Strong programming proficiency in C, C++, and Python.
• Hands-on experience with embedded systems programming, bare-metal development, or RTOS (FreeRTOS/Zephyr).
• Experience with ARM/RISC-V microcontrollers and FPGA development using Verilog/VHDL/SystemVerilog.
• Proficiency with hardware communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, PCIe).
• Experience in software engineering: version control, documentation, tutorials.
• Solid understanding of neuromorphic computing and SNNs, neuron models, and training/conversion methods.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed venues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in collaborative teams.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and optimize low-level software, drivers, and firmware for SNNs on embedded platforms.
• Research, develop, and evaluate hardware-software co-design for edge neuromorphic systems.
• Implement and validate SNN execution frameworks on ARM/RISC-V MCUs, FPGAs, or neuromorphic processors.
• Conduct power profiling, energy-per-inference measurements, and latency benchmarking on edge hardware.
• Build collaborations within ORNL and the neuromorphic communities worldwide.
• Publish research in high-impact journals and conferences.
• Author technical papers, reports, and proposals for internal/external release.
• Represent ORNL/Learning Systems Group with talks at conferences and workshops.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Python

Embedded systems programming

RTOS (FreeRTOS/Zephyr)

Verilog/VHDL/SystemVerilog

Git/version control

Publications or research communication

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

FreeRTOS

Zephyr

Verilog

VHDL

SystemVerilog

ARM

RISC-V

FPGA

Vivado

Quartus

Git

LaTeX

Job description

UT-Battelle's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to advance spiking neural networks on edge platforms. You will perform impactful research and apply methods across science and engineering domains.

You will develop low-level software and firmware for SNNs, evaluate hardware-software co-design approaches, and publish results in peer-reviewed venues. Collaborate with global experts, present at conferences, and contribute to education and outreach while advancing