What are the responsibilities and job description for the Computational Nuclear Data Scientist (Scientist 2/3) position at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
Job Details
Description
Job Title Computational Nuclear Data Scientist (Scientist 2/3)
Location Los Alamos, NM, US
Organization Name XCP-5/Materials and Physical Data
Minimum Salary
Maximum Salary
What You Will Do
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or Scientist 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.
The Materials and Physical Data group (XCP-5) in the Computational Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is an interdisciplinary group which develops, implements, and validates constitutive models (material strength, damage and failure, etc.), equations of state (EOS), and physical data libraries including opacities and nuclear cross sections for use in large-scale simulation codes; additionally, some group members collaborate in the design and analysis of small-scale and integral validation experiments for material models and physical data. XCP-5 offers an exciting, flexible, scientifically challenging work environment with many opportunities to collaborate with the broader LANL scientific community. We are currently seeking highly motivated candidates to join our nuclear data team.
The nuclear data team in XCP-5 performs a wide range of activities along the nuclear data pipeline, from evaluations of nuclear data, their processing, their validation through the use of open and protected integral benchmarks, the creation of continuous-energy and multi-group data libraries for a range of applications, and the development and/or modernization of computing tools (e.g., NJOY21) to perform all the complex operations that sustain this pipeline. The nuclear data team works closely with other teams at the laboratory (e.g., MCNP , PARTISN, nuclear theory and data evaluators, LANSCE for neutron-induced experiments, radiochemists, integral benchmarks experimentalists, statisticians and AI/ML experts, and many others) to apply novel techniques to nuclear data problems, and also interact with and support nuclear data users. Team members are very active in participating and leading various national and international efforts through organizations such as the Cross Section Evaluation Working Group (CSEWG), the Nuclear Data Working Group (NDWG/WANDA), the OECD-NEA/WPEC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), etc., and continually foster connections to universities to mentor students.
Scientist 2 $104,100 - $172,200
XCP-5 is seeking highly motivated early- to mid-career candidates to develop higher fidelity nuclear data libraries to be used primarily in simulations for stockpile stewardship and global security applications. Considerable effort is underway at LANL and elsewhere to improve the measurements of relevant data, the theory used to describe these reactions, the uncertainties in both, and understand their impact on these applications. The successful candidate will work with these communities, both nationally and internationally, to help develop, implement and validate new physics models, new data libraries and support their use.
Scientist 3 $125,200-$168,200
In addition to what was outlined at the Scientist 2 level, at this level you will be expected to be more self-guided and motivated in contributing to the tasks outlined above. You will also be expected to mentor junior staff as well as students and postdocs. Finally, you will be expected to seek out funding for and lead small to medium sized projects.
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or Scientist 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level. Priority consideration will be given to candidates with previous experience in the measurement, creation, processing and/or usage of nuclear data.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Demonstrated scientific achievement in one or more of the following related fields: nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, nuclear data evaluations, and/or nuclear data experiments.
Nuclear Data Applications
Knowledge and/or experience in nuclear data evaluation, or at least one nuclear data application, e.g., criticality safety, reactor physics, stockpile or global security applications, etc.
Computer Languages
Experience with compiled (e.g., C ) and/or scripting (e.g., Python) computer language(s).
Collaboration
Demonstrated strong interpersonal and teaming skills, the ability to function effectively in a team environment, and a willingness to learn new skills and be flexible in work assignments. This includes exhibiting professional conduct in interactions with co-workers and supervisors.
Communication
Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills as showcased by journal publications or conference presentations.
Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3:
In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:
Nuclear Data Processing Codes
Thorough knowledge and experience with nuclear data processing codes (e.g., NJOY) to build and verify application libraries.
Neutron Transport Codes
Advanced experience with neutron transport codes (e.g., MCNP, PARTISN) to perform neutronics simulation analysis and validation.
Nuclear Data Formats
Previous knowledge of nuclear data formats, e.g., ENDF, GNDS, ACE.
Software Development
Experience with modern software development process and tools, high performance computing (HPC), numerical methods, algorithms, and user support.
Statistical Methods
Advanced knowledge of statistical methods such as Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence.
Uncertainty Quantification
Experience in uncertainty quantification related to nuclear data evaluations or forward-propagation of these uncertainties to applications.
Project Leadership and Funding
Documented experience in acquiring funding for and leading small projects.
Mentorship
Mentoring experience of students, postdocs and/or early-career staff.
Education/Experience for Scientist 2: Positions requires a Bachelor's degree in STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Education/Experience for Scientist 3: Position requires a Master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 6 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
Work Environment:
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Applicants should submit a CV/resume and a detailed cover letter describing how they meet the required and desired qualifications for this position. We welcome a broad pool of candidates from a diverse background. For more information or questions please contact: Abigail Hunter () and/or Nathan Gibson ( )
Where You Will Work
Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:
PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same 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)
Additional Details
Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2 . Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
Clearance:Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires ship 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. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.
*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.
Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.
Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to or call opt. 3.
Employment Status Full Time
Appointment Type Regular
Regular
Contact Details
Contact Name Nyenhuis, Niko Alexander
Email
Work Telephone
Job Title Computational Nuclear Data Scientist (Scientist 2/3)
Location Los Alamos, NM, US
Organization Name XCP-5/Materials and Physical Data
Minimum Salary
Maximum Salary
What You Will Do
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or Scientist 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.
The Materials and Physical Data group (XCP-5) in the Computational Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is an interdisciplinary group which develops, implements, and validates constitutive models (material strength, damage and failure, etc.), equations of state (EOS), and physical data libraries including opacities and nuclear cross sections for use in large-scale simulation codes; additionally, some group members collaborate in the design and analysis of small-scale and integral validation experiments for material models and physical data. XCP-5 offers an exciting, flexible, scientifically challenging work environment with many opportunities to collaborate with the broader LANL scientific community. We are currently seeking highly motivated candidates to join our nuclear data team.
The nuclear data team in XCP-5 performs a wide range of activities along the nuclear data pipeline, from evaluations of nuclear data, their processing, their validation through the use of open and protected integral benchmarks, the creation of continuous-energy and multi-group data libraries for a range of applications, and the development and/or modernization of computing tools (e.g., NJOY21) to perform all the complex operations that sustain this pipeline. The nuclear data team works closely with other teams at the laboratory (e.g., MCNP , PARTISN, nuclear theory and data evaluators, LANSCE for neutron-induced experiments, radiochemists, integral benchmarks experimentalists, statisticians and AI/ML experts, and many others) to apply novel techniques to nuclear data problems, and also interact with and support nuclear data users. Team members are very active in participating and leading various national and international efforts through organizations such as the Cross Section Evaluation Working Group (CSEWG), the Nuclear Data Working Group (NDWG/WANDA), the OECD-NEA/WPEC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), etc., and continually foster connections to universities to mentor students.
Scientist 2 $104,100 - $172,200
XCP-5 is seeking highly motivated early- to mid-career candidates to develop higher fidelity nuclear data libraries to be used primarily in simulations for stockpile stewardship and global security applications. Considerable effort is underway at LANL and elsewhere to improve the measurements of relevant data, the theory used to describe these reactions, the uncertainties in both, and understand their impact on these applications. The successful candidate will work with these communities, both nationally and internationally, to help develop, implement and validate new physics models, new data libraries and support their use.
Scientist 3 $125,200-$168,200
In addition to what was outlined at the Scientist 2 level, at this level you will be expected to be more self-guided and motivated in contributing to the tasks outlined above. You will also be expected to mentor junior staff as well as students and postdocs. Finally, you will be expected to seek out funding for and lead small to medium sized projects.
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or Scientist 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level. Priority consideration will be given to candidates with previous experience in the measurement, creation, processing and/or usage of nuclear data.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Demonstrated scientific achievement in one or more of the following related fields: nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, nuclear data evaluations, and/or nuclear data experiments.
Nuclear Data Applications
Knowledge and/or experience in nuclear data evaluation, or at least one nuclear data application, e.g., criticality safety, reactor physics, stockpile or global security applications, etc.
Computer Languages
Experience with compiled (e.g., C ) and/or scripting (e.g., Python) computer language(s).
Collaboration
Demonstrated strong interpersonal and teaming skills, the ability to function effectively in a team environment, and a willingness to learn new skills and be flexible in work assignments. This includes exhibiting professional conduct in interactions with co-workers and supervisors.
Communication
Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills as showcased by journal publications or conference presentations.
Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3:
In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:
Nuclear Data Processing Codes
Thorough knowledge and experience with nuclear data processing codes (e.g., NJOY) to build and verify application libraries.
Neutron Transport Codes
Advanced experience with neutron transport codes (e.g., MCNP, PARTISN) to perform neutronics simulation analysis and validation.
Nuclear Data Formats
Previous knowledge of nuclear data formats, e.g., ENDF, GNDS, ACE.
Software Development
Experience with modern software development process and tools, high performance computing (HPC), numerical methods, algorithms, and user support.
Statistical Methods
Advanced knowledge of statistical methods such as Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence.
Uncertainty Quantification
Experience in uncertainty quantification related to nuclear data evaluations or forward-propagation of these uncertainties to applications.
Project Leadership and Funding
Documented experience in acquiring funding for and leading small projects.
Mentorship
Mentoring experience of students, postdocs and/or early-career staff.
Education/Experience for Scientist 2: Positions requires a Bachelor's degree in STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Education/Experience for Scientist 3: Position requires a Master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 6 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
- A degree in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.
- Post-doctoral research experience at a university or national lab or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation.
- Proficiency in using nuclear data processing codes (e.g., NJOY) to build and verify application libraries.
- In-depth knowledge of neutron transport codes (e.g., MCNP, PARTISN) to perform neutronics simulation analysis and validation.
- Understanding of and experience with nuclear data formats, e.g., ENDF, GNDS, ACE.
- Experience with modern software development process and tools, high performance computing (HPC), numerical methods, algorithms, and user support.
- Knowledge of statistical methods such as Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence.
- Experience in uncertainty quantification related to nuclear data evaluations or forward-propagation of these uncertainties to applications.
Work Environment:
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Applicants should submit a CV/resume and a detailed cover letter describing how they meet the required and desired qualifications for this position. We welcome a broad pool of candidates from a diverse background. For more information or questions please contact: Abigail Hunter () and/or Nathan Gibson ( )
Where You Will Work
Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:
PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same 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)
Additional Details
Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2 . Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
Clearance:Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires ship 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. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.
*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.
Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.
Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to or call opt. 3.
Employment Status Full Time
Appointment Type Regular
Regular
Contact Details
Contact Name Nyenhuis, Niko Alexander
Work Telephone
Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.
Salary : $104,100 - $172,200
