Postdoctoral Appointee – Computer Science and AI Theory (Onsite)

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.

We are seeking highly motivated postdoctoral candidates to conduct research on the theory of brain-inspired algorithms and their Application to solving complex real-world problems. You will join a highly interdisciplinary team conducting high-level R&D in neuromorphic computing, artificial intelligence, and spiking neural networks for a variety of applications. The successful candidate will join our fun and interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and neuroscientists conducting high-level R&D in areas such as neuromorphic computing, artificial intelligence, and spiking neural networks.

A strong background in theory (e.g., mathematics, theoretical neuroscience, computer science) is a necessity. experience with artificial intelligence models is strongly preferred.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Develop and extend neural-inspired artificial intelligence algorithms.
• Research theoretical principles and model interpretability/model introspection.
• Program and test algorithms on neuromorphic and AI accelerator hardware.
• Design novel energy-efficient computing architectures.
• Apply existing state-of-the-art methods and algorithms to domain data.
• Engage with the community for conferences, workshops, proposals and outreach.
• Develop and support open-source research software packages.
• Publish research results in high-quality journals and competitive conference venues.

We value a diverse team. We encourage people of all racial/ethnic identities, all gender identities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

*Due to the nature of the work the selected applicant must be able to work onsite in Albuquerque, New Mexico Relocation will be provided for those that qualify. Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

• Possess, or are pursuing, a PhD in computer science, mathematics, theoretical neuroscience, physics, computer engineering, electrical engineering or a relevant field; PhD must be conferred within five years prior to employment.
• Experience with theoretical or practical aspects of either neuromorphic algorithms or artificial intelligence.
• Experience in a common programming language such as Python or C++.
• Able to obtain and maintain a DoE Q clearance.

• Interest in developing neural-inspired and cutting-edge artificial intelligence algorithms (e.g. spiking neural networks, Bayesian neural networks, RNNs, LLMs) or in the deployment and application of such algorithms.
• Experience with specialized computational architectures such as GPUs, FPGAs, neuromorphic processors, or machine learning accelerators.
• Experience with neural network modeling languages (PyTorch, Tensorflow, Keras, etc) or neural modeling languages.
• Prior research peer-reviewed publications are highly desirable.
• Desire to work as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team.

The department of Cognitive & Emerging Computing (Org. 01421) pursues foundational research and development of:- emerging general-purpose energy-efficient and beyond-Moore computing paradigms;- cognitive, brain-inspired and neuromorphic computing, human-machine interface technologies;- advanced heterogeneous architectures based on integrated commodity components, special purpose accelerators, neural architectures and algorithms.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

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 verification. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance 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 trustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

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.

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.