Senior Data Lifecycle & Governance Architect

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

About The Position

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a senior cross-disciplinary Data Architect to advance research data capabilities in a national laboratory environment. The role focuses on research data management, governance, and interoperable data systems supporting mission-driven science across multiple facilities and programs. The successful candidate will lead the creation and refinement of data architecture and governance strategies that guide development of AI-enabled computational science. ORNL's Data Engineering group conducts research and development on innovative data systems and applies expertise in data collection, management, distribution, and curation to scientific research and national security programs. This position supports projects funded by DOE ASCR and other DOE program offices, strategic partnership programs, and laboratory initiatives. It also provides subject-matter expertise to the directorate and represents ORNL and CSMD through publications, conferences, meetings, and industry engagement. The position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy clearance. It is designated for Workplace Substance Abuse Program testing, which includes a pre-placement drug test and ongoing random drug testing. Visa sponsorship is unavailable. The position will remain open for at least five days and will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

Requirements

M.S. in Computer Science or a related field.
12 or more years of programming and software engineering experience across all aspects of the software development life cycle.
At least 5 years of experience designing state-of-the-art, large-scale data science platforms and frameworks for federal, state, or commercial organizations.
Proven ability to lead complex, cross-disciplinary projects involving multiple stakeholders and/or facilities.
Strong understanding of data standards, interoperability and governance challenges, and scientific data workflows.
Ability to set priorities, accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to changing needs.
Knowledge of federal data policies, open science initiatives, and FAIR data principles.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy clearance.
Pass a pre-placement drug test and participate in ongoing random drug testing.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

Active Department of Energy Q clearance; SCI clearance is a plus.
Ph.D. in Computer Science, Information Science, or a related field.
Ability to work independently and contribute creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
Experience working within or collaborating with national laboratories, federal research programs, or large-scale scientific facilities.
At least 10 years of experience designing systems for different modalities of scientific and national mission-relevant data (structured and unstructured), storage (monolithic, federated, distributed, etc.), and modes of analysis (real time, batch, interactive, etc.).
Familiarity with leadership-scale high-performance computing (HPC) environments, data-intensive science, and the applicability of AI techniques and technologies to scientific problems.
Experience supporting user facilities or large collaborative research programs.

Responsibilities

Use data architecture and governance expertise to support DOE ASCR-funded projects, other DOE program offices, strategic partnership programs, and strategic Division and Directorate initiatives.
Lead and coordinate multi-facility and multi-program data management and governance initiatives aligned with laboratory mission priorities.
Apply ontology engineering and semantic technologies to support knowledge representation, data integration, and discoverability.
Establish and promote best practices for research data lifecycle management, including metadata standards, curation, stewardship, and compliance with federal policies.
Establish collaborations within ORNL and with national laboratories, academic, government, and commercial organizations to promote the visibility and reputation of the division and ORNL.
Support recruiting, selection, hiring, and mentoring of technical staff.
Serve as a subject matter expert to the directorate in data engineering, data architectures, and resource utilization as needed.
Represent ORNL and CSMD by developing papers about accomplishments, engaging with the scientific community at conferences and meetings to understand data challenges, and interacting with industry partners to develop next-generation capabilities.