Academic Graduate Appointee

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability. 

Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

We have an opening for an Academic Graduate Appointee. The successful candidate is expected to help design, build, test, and improve practical AI-enabled tools and agentic solutions from concept through high-fidelity prototype. Focus area(s) may include AI application development, platform engineering, model evaluation, data integration, and developer tooling. This position is in the Data Science and Analytics group in the Computing organization at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

You will

• Conduct research in assigned area under general direction and supervision.
• Design, build, test, and improve practical AI-enabled tools and agentic solutions, moving quickly from ideas to working prototypes and reliable high-fidelity prototypes.
• Rapidly prototype AI-powered applications, agents, and workflows for high-value use cases.
• Build reusable platform components for model access, agent orchestration, tool use, data integration, and evaluation.
• Integrate large language models with internal systems, APIs, databases, and third-party services, including solutions that use tool calling, and multi-step workflows.
• Evaluate models, frameworks, and infrastructure based on quality, reliability, latency, security, and cost.
• Deploy and operate AI services using modern cloud, container, and CI/CD practices while establishing appropriate controls for privacy, security, permissions, and responsible AI use.
• Use AI-assisted coding, research, and automation tools to accelerate development and document technical decisions, experiments, platform capabilities, and best practices.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, design, and business teams to identify valuable AI use cases.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). See the additional information section below for details.
• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or a related field.
• Software engineering experience with languages such as Python or TypeScript and practical experience using AI-assisted development tools.
• Experience building applications with large language models, machine learning services, or generative AI APIs.
• Familiarity with agent frameworks, tool calling, retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, prompt engineering, structured outputs, and multi-step workflows.
• Experience designing APIs, data pipelines, distributed systems, or asynchronous workflows and integrating with internal systems, APIs, databases, or third-party services.
• Ability to rapidly evaluate new technologies, debug complex issues across models, prompts, application code, data, and infrastructure, and make pragmatic architectural decisions.
• Have clear written and verbal communication skills, ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams, and a product-oriented focus on useful, trustworthy, and maintainable solutions.

Pay Range

$10,215 Monthly

Pay set by hiring organization.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Position Information

This is a one-year Academic Graduate Appointee, open to those who have been awarded a degree at the time of the employment offer.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visit https://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values

Security Clearance

None required.  However, if your assignment is longer than 179 days cumulatively within a calendar year, you must go through the Personal Identity Verification process.  This process includes completing an online background investigation form and receiving approval of the background check.  

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Section 3112, generally prohibits citizens of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea without dual US citizenship or legal permanent residence from accessing specific non-public areas of national security or nuclear weapons facilities.  The restrictions of NDAA Section 3112 apply to this position.  To be qualified for this position, Candidates must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112.

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession.  This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.  

If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas.  Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

How to identify fake job advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under “Find Your Job” of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.