Postdoctoral Research Associate - Programming Systems for Extreme Heterogeneity

About the role

The Computer Science and Mathematics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking an exceptional Postdoctoral Researcher to advance programming systems for extreme-scale, heterogeneous computing.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• LLVM Compiler Innovation: Advance the LLVM toolchain to support autonomous “closed-loop” optimization environments, enabling AI agents to analyze, transform, and validate IR with performance-driven reasoning.
• HPC System Co‑Design: Investigate methods through which AI agents guide architectural design decisions for massively parallel heterogeneous systems, including pathways that integrate quantum or analog co-processors.
• Performance Engineering at Scale: Profile, model, and optimize distributed codes using MPI, OpenMP, CUDA, ROCm, and related HPC technologies while bridging theoretical AI models with real hardware constraints.
• Cross‑Paradigm Integration (new optional emphasis): Explore how compilers and runtimes can unify classical, quantum, and analog execution models under a shared optimization framework.

Basic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Compiler and Systems Expertise: Strong experience with LLVM (e.g., writing passes, IR transformations) and HPC programming in C++, MPI, OpenMP, CUDA, or related models.
• Solid understanding of distributed-memory systems and many‑core architectures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal Methods: Experience with automated reasoning or verification tools (e.g., Z3, TLA+, LEAN) to ensure correctness of compiler- or AI‑generated code.
• Mathematical Foundations: Background in linear algebra, graph algorithms, and related areas central to dataflow and tensor optimization.
• Hardware/Software Co‑Design: Familiarity with architectural simulators (e.g., Gem5, SST) or HDLs.
• Quantum / Analog Computing: Exposure to quantum programming models (e.g., QIR, Q#, Qiskit, Cirq) or analog/neuromorphic systems; interest in integrating these paradigms into unified compilation and optimization strategies.
• Programming Languages & Frameworks: Experience with Julia, Rust, Python, Kokkos, OpenSHMEM, or similar emerging ecosystem tools.