Requisition Id 16734
Overview:
We are seeking Research Associates to advance, implement, and evaluate scalable quantum algorithms for material simulation. This work directly supports the 5-year mission of the ORNL Quantum Science Center (QSC) to establish a quantum-accelerated computing ecosystem for scientific applications. As part of our team you will work closely with ORNL staff and external collaborators on some or all of the following tasks: developing quantum algorithms for simulation of quantum spin systems; programming such algorithms in an emerging cohesive software ecosystem; benchmarking quantum simulations on early-fault tolerant quantum processors and on high performance computing-based emulators; and quantitatively comparing quantum computational results against experimental measurements such as inelastic neutron scattering or thermal transport.
This position resides within the Quantum Computational Science Group in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division (CSED) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). CSED performs transdisciplinary computational science and analytics at scale to produce advancements in physical sciences, engineering, and biomedicine and health. The Quantum Computational Science group addresses this mission through the development of quantum computational methods and software for diverse scientific applications.
Major Duties/Responsibilities:
- Develop, Implement, and/or benchmark quantum algorithms for material science simulation on early fault-tolerant quantum computers, within an emerging hybrid quantum-classical software ecosystem.
- Quantitatively compare and interpret quantum computational results with respect to experimental data and/or classical theory/simulation.
- Collaborate with ORNL staff scientists and external collaborators.
- Write peer-reviewed scientific articles and present research findings at major scientific conferences.
- Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service.
Basic Qualifications:
- A Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Familiarity with quantum computing theory and practice.
- Familiarity with quantum and classical programming languages and scientific computing.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum of one year of experience in condensed matter physics.
- Minimum of one year experience implementing quantum computations on commercial quantum computers using standard toolkits and libraries (Qiskit, CirQ, pytket, etc.).
- Minimum of one year experience in modern open-source software development practices.
- Fluency in multiple scientific programming languages (e.g. Python, Julia, Fortran, C++) and awareness of AI-assisted coding techniques.
- Interest in applying AI/ML methods to scientific validation, uncertainty quantification, robustness analysis, surrogate modeling, or adaptive feedback/optimization.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
- Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.
Special Requirements:
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an HSPD-12 PIV badge.
For employment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a Real ID compliant form of identification will be required. Additionally, ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation.
To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year. This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.
For foreign national candidates:
If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment.
About ORNL:
As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.
ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.
Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.
This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.
We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.
If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.
ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.
TECHNICAL & MARKET ANALYSIS | Appended by Quantum.Jobs
The emergence of Research Associates specializing in Quantum Computing marks a definitive transition within the deep-tech ecosystem from basic physical research to algorithmic implementation and verification. As federal initiatives and global technology roadmaps accelerate toward early fault-tolerant architectures, roles that bridge theoretical quantum information science and tangible domain simulations are essential to unlocking structural advantage. This specific professional profile provides high-leverage translation across the research value chain by mapping complex quantum spin systems onto emerging co-designed software stacks. By validating computational outputs against precise physical measurements, this function resolves critical bottlenecks in algorithm scalability and experimental reproducibility. Market signals from major science agencies indicate that such specialized positions are vital for establishing robust benchmarks before full-scale deployment in high-performance environments. Consequently, this cohort acts as a stabilizing force that guides multi-year technology readiness level progression and shields public-private investments from systemic technical obsolescence.
The quantum software and algorithm sector is experiencing a structural pivot from localized proof-of-concept demonstrations to rigorous, ecosystem-wide benchmarking frameworks. While hardware modalities continue to diversify, the immediate hurdle for practical application lies in ensuring algorithmic reproducibility and mitigation of hardware error profiles. Current industry focus lies on bridging classical and quantum capabilities at scale, which demands sophisticated middleware coordination and cross-platform compilation tools. This operational climate is heavily influenced by national security imperatives and collaborative public funding structures, placing a premium on profiles that operate at the nexus of institutional networks and commercial hardware providers.
A primary macro constraint within this domain is the acute fragmentation of the quantum software stack alongside an ongoing deficit of standardized validation protocols. The evolution of the broader value chain is dependent on the ability to translate condensed matter physics and material science challenges into quantum-native formulations without introducing crippling error amplification. As national laboratories and research centers scale their hybrid high-performance computing infrastructures, the integration of quantum co-processors introduces severe data-throughput and emulation dependencies. These system mismatches threaten to stall the development of scalable software ecosystems.
To maintain momentum across varying technology readiness levels, the ecosystem relies on intermediate research functions to drive interoperability across disparate simulator platforms and physical hardware backends. By anchoring algorithmic research within structured, open-source communities, these roles establish the baseline requirements necessary for commercial software vendors to target enterprise-grade systems engineering. This structural mediation reduces the friction inherent in transitioning breakthroughs from academic discovery to deterministic industrial roadmaps.
The capability architecture for this sector profile requires deep convergence between advanced quantum information theory and practical software engineering disciplines. Mastery over agnostic development frameworks and commercial software libraries is necessary to ensure that complex application code can execute efficiently across diverse hardware topologies. This mastery entails an intimate understanding of compilation passes, gate-level optimization, and the integration of classical emulation platforms used to establish algorithmic baselines before hardware deployment.
These specific skill domains are vital to institutional research throughput, as they enable parallel testing of code robustness against both current noisy processors and simulated early fault-tolerant architectures. Implementing rigorous verification and validation schemes allows for an accurate assessment of algorithmic scaling laws and structural noise vulnerabilities. Furthermore, familiarity with modern version control, continuous integration, and open-source validation pipelines ensures that emerging code repositories remain durable and reusable across fluid, multi-institutional collaborations. - Accelerates the transition of theoretical quantum information concepts into verifiable, domain-specific application software
- Mitigates technical execution risks by establishing rigorous algorithmic validation pathways against classical emulation baselines
- Facilitates the co-design of hybrid classical-quantum software architectures within high-performance computing environments
- Strengthens the empirical reliability of quantum simulations through structured comparison with experimental material measurements
- Reduces structural iteration friction between fundamental physical discoveries and scalable code implementation protocols
- Optimizes institutional research throughput by deploying standard open-source development practices within scientific computing
- Enhances value chain interoperability by benchmarking algorithm performance across diverse commercial hardware backends
- Supports national technology readiness objectives by contributing reproducible software tools to public-private research centers
- Improves the predictability of algorithm scaling laws under realistic physical noise profiles and gate constraints
- Enables systematic uncertainty quantification for complex quantum simulations targeting early fault-tolerant systems
- Protects public research capital by documenting benchmark metrics across fragmented hardware and simulator platforms
- Orchestrates multi-disciplinary collaboration by translating abstract physics requirements into structured computer science benchmarksIndustry Tags: Quantum Algorithm Development, High-Performance Computing, Materials Simulation, Algorithmic Benchmarking, Early Fault-Tolerance, Hybrid Quantum-Classical, Open-Source Scientific Software, Quantum Information Science
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