What You Will Do
Come join the brightest minds at the most innovative R&D facility supporting our national security! The Information Sciences Group (CAI-3) is looking for Data Management Research Scientists interested in designing the high-performance data ecosystem needed to enable the next generation of AI-driven scientific discovery. In this capacity, you will:
Design and implement next-generation data-ingestion pipelines that automatically discover, validate and catalog heterogenous scientific datasets across LANL and the broader DOE community.
Develop and maintain robust, open-source software libraries (primarily in Python) for metadata capture, FAIR-compliant cataloging, and RESTful data-service APIs.
Integrate tools into HPC environments to ensure scalable, reproducible workflows.
Support and enforce metadata schemas using standards such as Dublin Core or DCAT, and DOE's data-policy frameworks.
Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, external DOE labs, academic partners, and industry to translate domain requirements into production-ready data services.
Publish results in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and conference proceedings, etc.
CAI-3 is part of the Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI) Division which is a vibrant scientific research and development organization that works in a wide variety of mission areas for Los Alamos National Laboratory. The division focuses on research and development in artificial intelligence, fundamental computer science, computational physics, algorithms, high-performance computing, quantum computing, statistics, and applied mathematics.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Programming Experience: Proven ability to write clean, production-level Python code (= 2 years). Experience with compiled languages (C/C++) and web-based languages (JavaScript). Must demonstrate competence in algorithm design, debugging, profiling, and performance optimization.
Data-infrastructure know- how: Hands-on experience with relational and columnar databases (SQL, PostgreSQL, DuckDB, or similar) and with data-catalog services (e.g., CKAN).
Metadata & governance awareness: Familiarity with Dublin Core, DCAT or similar. Ability to map scientific data to these standards and to implement automated metadata harvesting.
HPC systems: Experience deploying code on clusters (Slurm, etc) and integration with interactive front-ends (e.g. notebook-based environments like JupyterLab).
Teamwork: Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a technically diverse team.
Communication: Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to present their work at conferences, meetings and workshops.
Education/Experience: Position requires a Bachelor's d degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 2 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
Record of scientific publications or open-source contributions.
Prior work with FAIR data principles and DOE's data-policy ecosystem (e.g., DOE Office of Science Data & Software Policy).
Experience developing AI/ML methods that enhance data-quality assessment, automated classification, or metadata enrichment.
An active Q clearance is highly desirable.
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Where You Will Work
Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:
§ PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
§ Dental and vision insurance
§ Free basic life and disability insurance
§ Paid childbirth and parental leave
§ Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
§ Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
§ Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
§ Onsite gyms and wellness programs
§ Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)
Additional Details
Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2 (https://int.lanl.gov/org/ddops/oma/prime-contract-management/applicable-directives/_assets/docs/DOE-O-206.2-Chg-2-LtdChg-Identity,-Credential,-and-Access-Management-ICAM-1.pdf) . Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.
*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 (https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0472.2-border-a-chg1-ltdchg/@@images/file) for additional information.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.
Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.
Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 (https://int.lanl.gov/policy/documents/P701.pdf) for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505)-664-6947.
