Software Engineer Scientist

What You Will Do


The High Performance Computing Environments group (HPC-ENV) is seeking driven HPC data scientists in the very broad areas of HPC and AI/ML overlap, as a Scientist 2 or 3. This position may require engagement in every phase of the system development lifecycle including: requirements generation, system and software design, implementation, integration & test, and verification & validation.


Examples of experience and research areas include, but are not limited to:

Computational performance of AI/ML algorithms, including the ability to use modern computing hardware and software frameworks efficiently. Data parallelism, model-parallelism, collective communication patterns and strategies for large-scale, distributed ML using frameworks e.g. Python (PyTorch, TensorFlow etc). Visualization of large-scale HPC/AI discovery campaigns. Operational data (power, energy, CPU/GPU utilization, job scheduling, large scale storage and I/O traces, system logs) analytics to enable data-driven intelligence and facility innovation. Deployment and use of large language models and other foundation models.
The HPC Division supports the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) mission by managing a world-class supercomputing center. We support stockpile stewardship for NNSA/DOE and accelerate scientific discovery for scientists. We integrate and support some of the world's largest supercomputers during an exciting time in computing with the focus on traditional large scale simulations, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.


HPC-ENV manages how users interact with the HPC systems at LANL which helps secure the nation and pushes the boundaries of science and innovation. Several teams within HPC-ENV are responsible for the broad range of HPC platforms, programming and runtime environments, software, application optimization and readiness, software engineering, user support & services for a large and diverse customer base. We provide support and services to many production platforms at a world-class computing facility to ensure customers can accomplish their research and mission at extreme scale.


This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or Scientist 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.



Scientist 2 ($99,200 - $164,100)


The successful candidate will perform the full spectrum of tasks, including but not limited to:

Research, evaluate and recommend AI/ML software for use on LANL systems. Work closely with HPC users to integrate AI/ML models into production HPC platforms. Provide support and guidance to HPC user community running AI/ML workflows on high performance computing systems Help establish best working practices for users and HPC around AI/ML workflows Together with subject matter experts help develop and implement plan for AI/ML data management (including but not limited to IO optimization, transfer and archival) Collaborate with stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions Work closely with system administrators to troubleshoot problems encountered by applications running on HPC systems Contribute to the development of technical presentations, papers, technical reports, etc. Stay updated on the latest advancements in AI/ML technologies and best practices Scientist 3 ($119,200 - $201,100)


In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level you will:

Lead technical efforts and projects in the area of AI/ML workflow development relevant to the HPC division. Mentor students and junior staff Contribute to the group's long term strategy for AI/ML workflows and support. Work closely with LANL staff, DOE/NNSA laboratories, and vendors to foster collaborations and advocate for our customers. Present LANL interests at NNSA/DoE venues and working groups Evaluate model and system performance and make recommendations for improvements What You Need Minimum Job Requirements:


This requires both breadth and depth of expertise to create, recommend, and approve designs

Proficiency in high and low level programming languages such as Python, C/C++, or equivalent languages. Experience developing, supporting, and using AI/ML solutions and pipelines together with a strong foundation in algorithms and techniques - such as supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning and reinforcement learning Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Strong communication and collaboration skills. Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic multi-disciplinary environment. Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3:


In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:

Proven experience (2+ years) working as an AI and Machine Learning Engineer or similar role Leadership: Experience as the technical lead on technical projects HPC Computing Experience: Experience working in a production computing environment, preferably with HPC systems or at large scale. Working knowledge of networking concepts and practices. Hands-on experience with popular ML frameworks and libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, etc. Education/Experience at lower level


Position requires a Bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation.



Education/Experience at higher level


Position requires a Master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 6 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.



Desired Qualifications: Experience with DevOps including CI/CD pipelines Ability to develop and create solutions to difficult problems often requiring integration of conflicting or incomplete data on a fast-paced schedule Familiar with conducting data analysis, data preprocessing, and feature engineering to prepare data for model training. Skills to train, validate, and fine-tune machine learning models using various techniques and algorithms. Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, Charliecloud etc. Familiarity with GPU optimizations in a scientific computing environment working wtih large multi-physics, molecular dynamics, material, climate, or genomics models Work Location: The work location for this position is hybrid and is located in Los Alamos, NM. Hybrid is defined as working partially onsite/partially offsite but within 2 hours ground commute of this location. All work locations are at the discretion of management and can change at any time with appropriate notice.



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:


For full consideration, applications should submit a cover letter addressing how their knowledge, skills and abilities meet the minimum requirements with a resume.

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. 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 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 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to 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 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 or call option 1.