Senior Research Scientist Advanced Computing Systems

About the role

The Advanced Technologies Section (ATS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Research Scientist to provide scientific and technical leadership in systems architecture for next-generation leadership-class high-performance computing. This position is embedded within the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) and serves as a strategic research leader at the intersection of advanced computing systems, storage architectures, and high-performance networking.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team of research scientists and postdoctoral researchers focused on next-generation HPC systems architecture, providing mentorship, technical direction, and career development guidance.
• Define and execute a strategic research agenda in advanced computing systems architecture, with emphasis on hybrid classical-quantum computing systems, next-generation high-performance interconnects, and future storage technologies for leadership-scale workloads.
• Architect and evaluate hybrid HPC-quantum computing systems, including co-design of system integration frameworks, communication substrates, and programming models that bridge classical and quantum computational resources.
• Lead research and development efforts in next-generation interconnect technologies, including evaluation of emerging fabric architectures, topology design, routing strategies, and in-network computing capabilities for exascale and post-exascale systems.
• Drive research into next-generation storage systems and hierarchies, including storage-class memory, disaggregated storage architectures, high-bandwidth parallel file systems, and data movement strategies at leadership scale.
• Lead collaborations with internal ORNL teams, DOE program offices, national laboratory partners, and industry and academic collaborators on advanced computing systems projects.
• Represent the OLCF and ATS in high-visibility technical forums, standards bodies, and vendor co-design engagements relevant to future leadership computing system acquisition.
• Author and contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and research proposals; secure external funding to sustain and grow the group’s research portfolio.
• Evaluate and evolve state-of-the-art design processes and system characterization methodologies used at leadership computing facilities and disseminate findings and best practices to the broader HPC community.

Qualifications

• PhD. in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, computational science, or a closely related field.
• 8 or more years of relevant research experience beyond the Ph.D., with a demonstrated record of independent research accomplishment in HPC systems, computer architecture, or a closely related domain.
• Demonstrated experience leading or co-leading research teams, including supervision of staff researchers, postdoctoral associates, or graduate students.