Principal Computational Physicist

Northrop Grumman Corporation; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 127,000 - 192,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Principal Computational Physicist to join their innovative team. This role involves developing and implementing simulation and optimization techniques for superconducting qubits and electronics. You will collaborate with a talented group of engineers to enhance existing tools and create new ones, all while working in a dynamic environment. If you're passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology and have a strong scientific background, this opportunity is perfect for you. Join a company that values intellectual curiosity and offers a chance to make a significant impact on the future of computing.

Benefits

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plans

Paid holidays

PTO

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in computational physics or related field.
• Experience in developing mathematical models for experimental understanding.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain numerical simulation models for superconducting devices.
• Analyze test results using simulation tools.

Skills

Python

C++

Physics-based simulation

Optimization techniques

Scientific software development

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

Ansys

COMSOL

Cadence

High-performance computing (HPC)

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: Polygraph

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Center (NGMC) is a leader in advanced development of semiconductor system solutions for military, aerospace, and commercial markets. For over 50 years, we have provided trusted foundry and semiconductor services, delivering high performance and reliable microelectronics. Our technologies include research in advanced computing solutions to offer unique "More than Moore" solutions. Microelectronics | Northrop Grumman

The Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Design & Applications (MDA) business area is leading efforts to transform computing, combining superconductivity and quantum mechanics to develop energy-efficient computing systems. You will work in a fast-paced team environment alongside engineers to realize these next-generation processing solutions.

We are seeking a Principal Computational Physicist to join our team.

We are looking for a Computational Physicist with a strong scientific and computational background interested in developing and implementing simulation and optimization techniques for superconducting qubits and electronics. This role involves understanding and improving existing tools and developing new ones, with experience in simulations for designing experiments and analyzing test results.

This position requires full-time on-site work at our Advanced Technology Laboratory (ATL) in Linthicum, MD, or Annapolis Junction, MD.

Your responsibilities:

1. Develop, implement, and maintain numerical simulation models and optimization techniques for superconducting devices.
2. Use simulation tools to analyze and understand test results on superconducting devices.
3. Ensure simulation and optimization tools are scalable and efficient on high-performance computing systems.
4. Support modeling & simulation teams in running and troubleshooting third-party tools (e.g., Ansys, COMSOL, Cadence) on HPC systems (up to 20% of the time).

What you need to be successful in the role:

• Motivation to conduct research in qubits and superconducting electronics.
• Perseverance in solving problems and a drive to find optimal solutions.
• Ability to learn new techniques as required by project needs.
• Ability to present technical results to diverse audiences.
• Ability to collaborate in small teams (4-7 people) and work independently.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of relevant experience; Master’s in STEM with 3 years of relevant experience; or enrolled in a PhD program with a prior completion date and 1 year of relevant experience; or PhD in STEM with 1 year of relevant experience.
• Experience in physics-based simulation and optimization techniques.
• Experience developing mathematical models for experimental understanding.
• Experience in scientific software development.
• Proficiency in Python and C++ coding.
• Active Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance with polygraph; U.S. Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in STEM with 1 year of experience or Master’s with 3 years of experience.
• Experience with parallel computing (MPI, OpenMP) and scientific code design.
• Experience benchmarking scientific software on HPC systems.
• Knowledge of computational methods for differential equations.

Salary Range: $127,400.00 - $191,200.00. The actual salary will depend on various factors including experience, education, and skills. Benefits include health insurance, life and disability insurance, savings plans, paid holidays, and PTO. The application period is approximately 20 days from posting, subject to change based on business needs.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. U.S. Citizenship is required for positions requiring a government clearance.