Artificial Intelligence Research Scientist (Scientist 2/3)
- Req. Number: IRC136926
- Organization : XCP-AI4ND/Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear Deterrence
- City, State: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Recruiter Name: Nyenhuis, Niko Alexander
- Recruiter Email: nnyenhuis@lanl.gov
What You Will Do
This position will be filled at the Scientist 2/3 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.
We are hiring a team to pioneer trustworthy and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) methods that will transform scientific discovery and national security. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Computational Physics Division's Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear Deterrence group (XCP-AI4ND) develops, validates, and delivers trustworthy machine learning systems that accelerate mission delivery across national security programs. As an AI Research Scientist in XCP-AI4ND, you will develop advanced machine learning methods for scientific emulation, AI-driven discovery, data-efficient learning, and uncertainty-aware decision making. Your work will fuse physical insights with experimental data to strengthen strategic stability.
We are seeking talented scientists to join our teams located in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Selected candidates will have the opportunity to choose their work location based on a combination of personal preference and project fit. Whether you are interested in contributing to cutting-edge research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos or Ann Arbor, both locations offer unique opportunities for growth and impact. Please indicate your preferred work location in your cover letter when applying.
You will work closely with computational physicists and national security experts in the X Computational Physics (XCP) Division, leveraging some of the world's most advanced supercomputers and global expertise in multi-physics simulation. XCP staff span a wide range of computational physics modeling disciplines including numerical fluid and solid mechanics, materials science, radiation hydrodynamics, plasma physics, turbulence, magnetohydrodynamics, high explosives, nuclear physics and engineering, and neutral and charged particle transport. Other research efforts focus on the development and optimization of cutting-edge physics algorithms for performance on both homogeneous and heterogeneous high-performance computing platforms. The duties of our scientists include research and development of applied physics and engineering models, the implementation of these methods into production codes using excellent software development practices, the testing and validation of these methods, and the education and support of users as they adopt these methods. At LANL, you'll be part of a thriving, interdisciplinary research environment, working alongside leading scientists and engineers to tackle some of the world's hardest science and security challenges.
Scientist 2 $104,100 - $172,200
We are looking for a curious and ambitious AI researcher with deep knowledge of modern machine learning and a passion for interdisciplinary problem-solving. At LANL, we tackle scientific and national security challenges that go beyond standard AI applications, requiring innovative solutions to work with unique data modalities, multi-physics simulations, and sparse or noisy datasets.
The ideal candidate will have experience developing reproducible, scalable, and trustworthy AI models and an interest in pushing the boundaries of scientific machine learning, explainable AI, and uncertainty quantification. Strong software engineering and MLOps skills are highly valued to ensure models are efficient, scalable, and robust in high-performance computing environments.
Scientist 3 $125,200 - $211,300
In addition to the responsibilities outlined for Scientist 2, a successful Scientist 3 candidate will demonstrate leadership in AI research, with a proven ability to define technical direction, lead research teams, and drive AI innovation in interdisciplinary environments. The selected candidate should have experience leading machine learning research projects, securing research funding, and mentoring junior researchers. The successful candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical results to a variety of audiences.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3:
In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the Scientist 3 level requires:
Education/Experience at Scientist 2: Position requires a Bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience, typically with post-doctoral research experience at a university or national lab or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation.
Education/Experience at Scientist 3: 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:
Work Location: This position requires onsite or hybrid work in one of two locations: Los Alamos, New Mexico or Ann Arbor, Michigan. 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:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of 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.
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. 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 opt. 3.
This position will be filled at the Scientist 2/3 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.
We are hiring a team to pioneer trustworthy and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) methods that will transform scientific discovery and national security. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Computational Physics Division's Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear Deterrence group (XCP-AI4ND) develops, validates, and delivers trustworthy machine learning systems that accelerate mission delivery across national security programs. As an AI Research Scientist in XCP-AI4ND, you will develop advanced machine learning methods for scientific emulation, AI-driven discovery, data-efficient learning, and uncertainty-aware decision making. Your work will fuse physical insights with experimental data to strengthen strategic stability.
We are seeking talented scientists to join our teams located in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Selected candidates will have the opportunity to choose their work location based on a combination of personal preference and project fit. Whether you are interested in contributing to cutting-edge research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos or Ann Arbor, both locations offer unique opportunities for growth and impact. Please indicate your preferred work location in your cover letter when applying.
You will work closely with computational physicists and national security experts in the X Computational Physics (XCP) Division, leveraging some of the world's most advanced supercomputers and global expertise in multi-physics simulation. XCP staff span a wide range of computational physics modeling disciplines including numerical fluid and solid mechanics, materials science, radiation hydrodynamics, plasma physics, turbulence, magnetohydrodynamics, high explosives, nuclear physics and engineering, and neutral and charged particle transport. Other research efforts focus on the development and optimization of cutting-edge physics algorithms for performance on both homogeneous and heterogeneous high-performance computing platforms. The duties of our scientists include research and development of applied physics and engineering models, the implementation of these methods into production codes using excellent software development practices, the testing and validation of these methods, and the education and support of users as they adopt these methods. At LANL, you'll be part of a thriving, interdisciplinary research environment, working alongside leading scientists and engineers to tackle some of the world's hardest science and security challenges.
Scientist 2 $104,100 - $172,200
We are looking for a curious and ambitious AI researcher with deep knowledge of modern machine learning and a passion for interdisciplinary problem-solving. At LANL, we tackle scientific and national security challenges that go beyond standard AI applications, requiring innovative solutions to work with unique data modalities, multi-physics simulations, and sparse or noisy datasets.
The ideal candidate will have experience developing reproducible, scalable, and trustworthy AI models and an interest in pushing the boundaries of scientific machine learning, explainable AI, and uncertainty quantification. Strong software engineering and MLOps skills are highly valued to ensure models are efficient, scalable, and robust in high-performance computing environments.
Scientist 3 $125,200 - $211,300
In addition to the responsibilities outlined for Scientist 2, a successful Scientist 3 candidate will demonstrate leadership in AI research, with a proven ability to define technical direction, lead research teams, and drive AI innovation in interdisciplinary environments. The selected candidate should have experience leading machine learning research projects, securing research funding, and mentoring junior researchers. The successful candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical results to a variety of audiences.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
- Proficiency training machine learning models using PyTorch, JAX, or similar deep learning frameworks.
- Experience in one or more of the following subfields:
- Scientific machine learning, including surrogate modeling and emulation
- Reinforcement learning and decision-making under uncertainty
- Few-shot learning, meta-learning, and transfer learning
- Machine learning for complex 3D scientific imaging
- Uncertainty quantification for machine learning models
- Explainable machine learning
- Formal verification and robustness testing for AI systems
- Excellent communication skills (both oral and written).
- Ability to obtain a DOE Q clearance, which typically requires US Citizenship.
Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3:
In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the Scientist 3 level requires:
- Demonstrated experience leading AI research projects, including setting technical direction, managing collaborations, or securing research funding.
- Proven ability to communicate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, top-tier conference presentations, or invited talks.
Education/Experience at Scientist 2: Position requires a Bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience, typically with post-doctoral research experience at a university or national lab or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation.
Education/Experience at Scientist 3: 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:
- Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals and/or top-tier machine learning conferences.
- Demonstrated contributions to the AI research community through open-source software, educational tutorials, or public research communication.
- Experience mentoring junior researchers, postdocs, or students in machine learning research.
- Experience coding as a member of a team using version control and continuous integration.
- Experience developing and running computational physics simulations.
- Experience using high-performance computing clusters, including distributed training on GPUs.
- Active Q and TS/SCI security clearances.
Work Location: This position requires onsite or hybrid work in one of two locations: Los Alamos, New Mexico or Ann Arbor, Michigan. 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:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of 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.
- Please include a detailed cover letter with your application explaining how you meet each of the Minimum Job Requirements and any of the Desired Qualifications. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
- This position requires onsite or hybrid work in one of two locations: Los Alamos, New Mexico or Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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. 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 opt. 3.
