Research Associate in Quantum Computing

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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.

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.