Senior Computer Scientist

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 a Senior Computer Scientist to design, develop, and deploy next-generation algorithms and software for mission-relevant cybersecurity and computing at scale. Your work will primarily support ongoing security missions within the Global Security Directorate, where you will have impact on the near-real-time analysis of massive-scale data. Your expertise will drive the design of novel data science capabilities that support the U.S. national security enterprise. You will work in a multidisciplinary environment with computational scientists, applied mathematicians, and software engineers to advance high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities, with an emphasis on sparse linear algebra, graph algorithms, and large-scale AI/ML optimization on modern heterogeneous architectures. You will interact with team members, project management, and external sponsors in pursuit of security missions, and will travel as necessary to interact with sponsors and customers. This position will be part of the Graph Science and Irregular Computing Group in Center for Applied Scientific Computing (CASC) within the Computing Directorate.

This position requires on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.

In this role, you will

• Lead and contribute to R&D efforts in scalable data science, AI/ML, and applied mathematics that support the U.S. security mission.
• Develop and direct technical tasks for teams addressing highly complex projects that consistently require the application of creativity and innovation; set broad research/project vision and strategy and influence technical direction for the Laboratory and others wielding extensive influence, such as senior management, industrial partners, and policy makers.
• Provide highly innovative solutions to abstract complex graph and/or sparse linear algebra problems/ideas, convert them into useable algorithms/software modules, and provide solutions that require in-depth analysis of multiple factors and the creative use of established methods.
• Develop new ideas, modify approaches, and redefine requirements that significantly impact major Laboratory programs, set high-level goals, and contribute to the revolutionary advancement of knowledge.
• Design and implement AI/ML optimization and deployment at scale.
• Build prototype HPC software in C++ using MPI (and related parallel programming models as needed), emphasizing performance portability, correctness, and maintainability.
• Engage with sponsors and stakeholders to develop new program growth opportunities, contribute to research proposals, and ensure alignment with mission objectives.
• Mentor and collaborate with team members, utilizing your technical expertise to attract and retain projects, programs, and funding.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.5 level 

• Lead development of new/novel technical areas applicable to sponsor mission priorities.
• Direct a portfolio of complex technical tasks and projects; establish a broad research/project vision and strategy and influence technical direction for Laboratory, self and/or others.
• Represent the Laboratory as the primary technical contact for large projects and serve on external scientific or technical committees.
• Support the Laboratory in attracting and retaining projects, programs, funding, and staff.

• This position requires an active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency at the time of hire. 
• PhD in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience).
• Expert project leadership experience for applied math, AI/ML, and/or computer science research efforts and the ability to apply, lead and develop cutting-edge principles and research, working independently while effectively managing concurrent technical tasks with competing priorities.
• Highly advanced experience creating technical direction and vision, writing research proposals, and/or securing sponsor funding.
• Demonstrated expertise designing HPC software and algorithms at scale, especially using C++ and MPI.
• Strong peer-reviewed publication background in sparse linear algebra and/or graph algorithms for large-scale computation.
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale computation (e.g., distributed optimization, AI/ML training at scale, performance/efficiency tuning, or scalable data/compute pipelines).

Additional qualifications at the SES.5 level 

• Extensive experience interacting with a multi-disciplinary research team, authoring technical and scientific reports and papers, and delivering scientific presentations.
• Extensive experience in the identification of highly complex problems and providing solutions in a creative and timely manner.
• Expert communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills necessary to present, explain, and advise senior management and/or external sponsors.

Qualifications we Desire

• Experience with GPU programming and/or performance-portable approaches (e.g., CUDA, HIP, OpenMP offload, Kokkos, RAJA).
• Experience with relevant libraries and ecosystems (e.g., BLAS/LAPACK, sparse BLAS, graph frameworks, distributed runtimes).
• Track record of leading technical efforts, mentoring, and delivering robust software to users/customers.
• Experience with defense or non-proliferation applications.

Pay Range

$210,630 - $267,060 Annually for SES.4
$252,810 - $320,580 Annually for SES.5

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

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

Position Information

This is a Flexible Term appointment, which is for a definite period not to exceed six years.  If final candidate is a Career Indefinite employee, Career Indefinite status may be maintained (should funding allow).

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

This position requires an active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency at time of hire. 

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.