Postdoctoral Research Associate - Application-driven Composable Distributed Storage

Requisition Id: 16764

About the role

The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a postdoctoral research associate in the area of Application-driven Composable Distributed Storage. The candidate will contribute to research in understanding and efficient use of distributed data storage and I/O subsystems for High-Performance Computing (HPC), scientific Artificial Intelligence (AI), and scientific edge computing. NCCS is a leader in computational and computer science, with strengths in high-performance computing and data analytics applied across diverse science domains. NCCS hosts some of the fastest supercomputers and storage systems in the world. This position is within the Technology Integration group.

Research Focus

• Flexible, composable storage service architectures that expose useful data container abstractions and interfaces for applications to convey their requirements for I/O performance and data atomicity, consistency, durability, and retention.
• Intelligent and automated selection and composition of data and storage service capabilities and interconnection topologies that simplify the use of diverse distributed storage resources through advanced methods for distributed data placement, layout, tiering, and movement.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal and external researchers on data and storage-related research projects for HPC, scientific AI, and scientific edge computing use cases.
• Characterize I/O and storage performance of HPC and scientific AI applications or libraries on multi-tier HPC storage systems.
• Design and evaluate approaches for time-sensitive or data-intensive processing of data originating at scientific edge systems using large-scale HPC/AI computational and storage systems.
• Design and evaluate ephemeral, user-configurable, and composable data and storage systems.
• Evaluate cloud data storage and analysis solutions (e.g., key-value stores, object or document storage, graph analytics systems) deployed on HPC computational and storage systems.
• Co-author peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and presentations.
• Seek membership and service opportunities in professional, academic, and research organizations.

Requirements

• A PhD in computer science/engineering or a relevant field, with a research track record in HPC/AI/edge systems and storage research within the past five years.
• Applicants cannot have received their PhD more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an HSPD-12 PIV badge.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work independently to design and deploy methods at scale.
• Experience in HPC and associated software development for applications, middleware, and/or system software.
• Flexibility to adapt to diverse R&D projects and tasks.
• Effective communication skills in both verbal and written forms.
• Ability to collaborate with scientists, engineers, and sponsors.
• Interest in mentoring student internships.

Appointment Details

The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team consists of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals. We aim to create an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are valued, supporting our mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges.

Benefits

• Competitive pay and benefits programs.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Contributory Pension Plan.
• Life Insurance and Disability Benefits.
• Generous vacation, holidays, and parental leave.
• Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection.
• Employee Assistance Plan.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.
• Wellness Programs.
• Educational Assistance and Relocation Assistance.
• Employee Discounts.
• On-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities.
• Flexible work hours to support work-life balance.