Research Scientist - Applications of Quantum HPC Systems

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

About The Position

The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks a research scientist to advance large-scale scientific applications of hybrid high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum computing (QC) systems toward fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC). The successful candidate will contribute to areas such as large-scale applications, quantum resource estimation, quantum error correction, and related AI/ML approaches for QC and HPC systems. The position is in the Quantum HPC Integration Group within the NCCS Science Engagement Section, which supports computational and computer science research across many scientific domains and operates world-leading supercomputing and storage systems. The group’s mission includes delivering new science capabilities to the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility by identifying gaps in system software and hardware and developing, integrating, hardening, and deploying solutions for HPC and QC. It also manages and facilitates partnerships and user programs providing access to classical and quantum resources; designs and procures OLCF systems and supporting infrastructure; and evaluates and integrates emerging technologies. The scientist will collaborate with researchers inside and outside ORNL, serve as a science liaison supporting users transitioning to leadership-class classical and quantum computing, and architect, deploy, and tune quantum computing models on hybrid systems. The role includes developing and integrating quantum algorithms and distributed variational algorithms for scientific applications, including energy and security domains such as fusion, engineering, biology, and extreme weather. Research may cover canonical and non-canonical applications, FTQC protocols, state preparation, measurement, resource estimation, error correction, and judicious use of AI to accelerate this work. The scientist will validate and benchmark research on OLCF and external computing facilities, deliver tools and capabilities for ORNL infrastructure, and contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical papers, and reports. ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory with more than 7,000 employees. The laboratory emphasizes a respectful, inclusive workplace and values Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. This position will remain open for at least five days and will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

Requirements

Ph.D. in computer science/engineering, mathematics, statistics, or a domain science area.
Proven research track record in QC and HPC systems.

Nice To Haves

Ability to work independently and develop and deploy quantum computing applications at scale, with emphasis on non-canonical applications.
Experience with algorithms for NISQ and FTQC systems.
Knowledge of different quantum computing backends and architectures.
Experience with AI for QC and QC for AI.
Experience in HPC and QC software development.
Track record of collaborations with academia, national laboratories, and industry.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
Flexibility in R&D assignments.
Ability to collaborate with scientists, engineers, and sponsors.
Interest in mentoring students.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with internal and external researchers on AI/ML, HPC, and QC research and projects.
Serve as a science liaison within the Science Engagement Section to support users transitioning to leadership-class computing on classical and quantum computers.
Collaborate with scientists outside ORNL to advance the mission of the group, laboratory, Department of Energy, and other sponsors.
Architect, deploy, and performance-tune quantum computing models on large-scale hybrid HPC and QC systems.
Integrate and deploy quantum algorithms and parallel/distributed variational algorithms across scientific applications and large-scale HPC and QC systems.
Develop quantum algorithms for canonical and non-canonical applications, including work on FTQC protocols, state preparation, measurement, resource estimation, and error correction.
Verify, validate, and benchmark research on large-scale HPC and QC systems in OLCF’s portfolio and at external computing facilities.
Deliver toolkits and new capabilities that run on ORNL computational infrastructure.
Collaborate on peer-reviewed papers, technical papers, and reports.
Seek membership in professional, academic, and research organizations.
Align behaviors, priorities, and interactions with ORNL’s core values and promote equal opportunity and a respectful workplace.