Postdoctoral Research Associate for AI and Computer Vision

About the role

The Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI) Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop innovative artificial intelligence and computer vision methods for national security applications.

You will develop methods for analyzing image data from sources such as scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, overhead imagery, and video, as well as multimodal and data-fusion approaches that integrate imagery, spectra, experimental measurements, natural language, and other heterogeneous data. Your primary research will apply these methods to nuclear forensics, with opportunities to contribute to other research challenges across LANL's national security mission.

You will work as part of a collaborative, cross-disciplinary research team spanning computer vision, machine learning, statistics, materials science, and other scientific domains. The position offers opportunities to develop new methods, work with challenging real-world scientific data, collaborate with experts across disciplines, and communicate research results through technical reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Responsibilities

• Develop innovative artificial intelligence and computer vision methods for national security applications.
• Analyze image data from scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, overhead imagery, and video.
• Create multimodal and data-fusion approaches integrating imagery, spectra, experimental measurements, natural language, and other heterogeneous data.
• Apply methods primarily to nuclear forensics, with potential contributions to other national security research challenges.
• Collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team in computer vision, machine learning, statistics, and materials science.
• Communicate research results through technical reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Requirements

• Experience with algorithm development for artificial intelligence and computer vision.
• Proficiency in Python, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• Experience scaling models in cloud or HPC environments.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ph.D. in a related field completed within the last 5 years or soon to be completed.

Qualifications

• Expertise in computer vision for scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy.
• Experience developing predictive and multimodal ML models.
• Experience developing solutions for uncertainty quantification and/or out-of-distribution samples in limited, noisy, sparse, and/or high-dimensional data.
• Past research collaborations with experimentalists.
• Experience in multi-disciplinary research projects.

Work Location

The work location for this position is onsite in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Security Clearance

This position requires a Q clearance. Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation, and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. Obtaining a Q clearance generally requires U.S. 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.

Note: Due to federal restrictions, citizens of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, including Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Benefits

• PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with a 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).

Pay

Competitive salaries are based on the date the PhD degree requirements were completed or the degree was awarded. Additional information on salary ranges and other benefits can be found online at LANL Postdoc Salary Information.

Fellowship Opportunities

Candidates may be considered for a Director's Fellowship, and outstanding candidates may be considered for prestigious Marie Curie, Richard P. Feynman, J. Robert Oppenheimer, or Frederick Reines Fellowships.