Senior/Principal R&D Data Science - Optimization, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, seeks an R&D Optimization Researcher to advance optimization models for national security problems. You will develop reformulations and algorithms for discrete optimization while leading a portfolio in Mixed-Integer Programming and related fields.

The role requires a Ph.D. in a relevant field or a Master’s with 5+ years of experience, ability to obtain DOE Q/SCI clearance, and on-site work due to security requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline plus 5 years of directly relevant research or engineering experience.
• Ability to obtain DOE Q and SCI clearance (polygraph may be required).
• On-site work requirement due to national security nature of work.

Responsibilities

• Develop reformulations, optimization techniques, or advanced algorithms for solving difficult discrete optimization models.
• Create new optimization models for problems across science and engineering domains.
• Present model applications and results at customer briefings and conferences.
• Collaborate with analysts and software engineers to deploy models into applications.
• Publish research in journals, conferences, and technical reports.

Skills

Optimization methods

Data analysis

Software development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree (relevant discipline)

Ph.D. in OR/Industrial Engineering/CS/Applied Math

Master's degree + 5+ years experience

Tools

MIP optimization tools

Python

Optimization software

Job description

About Sandia

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

• These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking an R&D Optimization Researcher to join the Operations Research and Computational Analysis Department. The Optimization Researcher will conduct research and serve as a consultant to staff working on advanced optimization models. The successful candidate will bring the skills, knowledge, and technical experience needed to solve the group's most difficult optimization models applied to national security problems. The candidate will grow a portfolio based on their expertise in Mixed-Integer Programming or a related field of optimization, and a demonstrated history of technical leadership in this space.

• Develop reformulations, optimization techniques, or advanced algorithms for solving difficult discrete optimization models.
• Create new optimization models for problems across various science and engineering domains.
• Present model applications and results at customer briefings and conferences.
• Work closely with analysts and software engineers to develop models into applications.
• Publish research in journals, conference papers, and technical reports.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range

$117,500 - $235,700

• Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q and SCI clearance which may require a polygraph test.

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D Data Science candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in a relevant computationally-intensive discipline where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience in developing software for enterprise and national security applications.
• Experience acquiring, preparing, and analyzing real world data.
• Demonstrated software development skills and familiarity with modern software development practices.
• Proven ability to work and communicate effectively in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team environment.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Ph.D. in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Math, or related subject; or a Master's degree with 5 or more years of experience
• Domain expertise in mixed-integer programming (MIP) or a related field of optimization
• Demonstrated experience solving difficult optimization models and developing advanced optimization algorithms
• Experience leading proposal development and project teams
• Experience working successfully with researchers, analysts, and software engineers
• Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated ability to develop technical ideas and results and present them in oral and written form
• Active DOE Q or TS/SCI Clearance

About Our Team

The Transformational Analytics and Mission Fundamentals Group (Group 5540 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) researches and applies operations research and computer science to analyze, predict and influence the behavior of complex, highly interdependent systems critical to our nation's security. We provide capabilities motivated by the challenge of understanding, quantifying, and controlling the resilience of key complex systems critical to the laboratories' National Security mission. The approaches and capabilities we provide are used to address complicated system and enterprise-level challenges facing a diverse set of national security partners.

Department 5541, Operations Research and Computational Analysis, is one of four departments in the Group. The department supports a wide variety of internal and external customers through mathematical modeling, analysis, and software development. We develop models and software products in the areas of optimization, simulation, statistics, decision theory, data querying and analysis, knowledge management, embedded systems, situational awareness and sensor data management. Our software development efforts are normally performed by small teams that stay closely involved with users and stakeholders throughout the software life cycle.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance and SCI access, both of which require US citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by the DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

Eeo

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements For MedPEDs

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

Job ID: 698951

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F