Quantum Algorithm Architect / Engineering and Physical Sciences Researcher - Experienced to Expert Level (Maryland)

The NSA invites you to be part of an elite team that's making a global impact by researching and developing revolutionary ideas. As a Quantum Algorithm Architect at NSA, your creativity and that of your team is essential to investigating and implementing effective technical solutions for our Nation. Your efforts will drive global impacts that may include saving the lives of U.S. and allied soldiers, providing U.S. policy and decision makers with critical, timely intelligence, ensuring the continued safety of U.S. citizens and residents by thwarting foreign adversaries, and defending vital networks. You can learn more about LPS and its mission by visiting https://www.lps.umd.edu. The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Degree must be in either (1) Engineering, (2) Physics or Astronomy from an accredited college, or (3) a relevant professional technical field (for example, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, geology).

For Engineering degrees, if program is not ABET accredited, it must include specified coursework.*

• Specified coursework includes courses in differential and integral calculus and 5 of the following 18 areas: (a) statics or dynamics, (b) strength of materials/stress-strain relationships, (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics, (d) thermodynamics, (e) electromagnetic fields, (f) nature and properties of materials/relating particle and aggregate structure to properties, (g) solid state electronics, (h) microprocessor applications, (i), computer systems, (j) signal processing, (k) digital design, (l) systems and control theory, (m) circuits or generalized circuits, (n) communication systems, (o) power systems, (p) computer networks, (q) software development, (r) Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, or soil mechanics.
  
  

Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: performing engineering or physical sciences work, or conducting academic or independent research in a technical field (for example, mathematics, engineering, cognitive sciences and physical sciences).

SENIOR

Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 3 years of relevant experience.

EXPERT

Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 10 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 6 years of relevant experience. Would you like to work for the most esteemed, reputable, and established in-house research organization in the U.S. Intelligence Community? If so, let's talk!

NSA employs scientists with world-class skills in fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, and cybersecurity. We collaborate with leading companies, universities, and national laboratories to leverage work in overlapping disciplines, advance core capabilities, and seek out and develop revolutionary ideas that will provide our nation with an overwhelming advantage over our adversaries.

At the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) at NSA, you will have incredible opportunities with high visibility to work on investigating and designing large-scale high performance computing systems, focusing on computer architectures, processing/memory subsystems, and transforming computing beyond Moore's Law. You will be a part of a multi-disciplinary team of physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and systems architects that challenge you to drive solutions to unique problems that will have revolutionary impact.

LPS is excited to leverage the expertise, ideas, and vision of a Quantum Algorithm Architect to lead projects that shape the future of U.S. technology interests by directing activities to develop and implement complex software and/or hardware systems. A Quantum Algorithm Architect will collaborate with leading engineers and scientists in quantum computing across government, industry, and academia to identify, manage, and actively reduce architectural risks, leverage emerging technologies and standards, measure progress across various efforts, and manage highly dynamic architectures.

Responsibilities for the Quantum Algorithm Architect position include, but are not limited to:

• Assessing advances in quantum algorithmic resourcing and techniques for benchmarking quantum algorithms.
• Assessing hybrid classical-quantum algorithms including verifying correctness and performance of quantum algorithms.
• Co-design/collaborate on algorithmic representations that are tailored to specific quantum hardware.
• Providing deep technical expertise in quantum error correction to include co-design/collaborate on advanced error correction codes with native automorphisms or transversal non-Clifford operators for specific qubit technologies.
• Providing expertise in quantum characterization, validation and verification techniques.
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to understand state of the art research, and identify future research gaps and needs.
• Staying abreast of the latest research, summarizing key findings for stakeholders, and incorporating cutting edge ideas into system architecture designs.
• Identifying, managing, and actively reducing architectural risks; measuring progress across various efforts, maximizing reuse of previous efforts, and managing highly dynamic architectures.
• Evaluating, testing, and validating design, implementation, enhancement, and deployment of debugging tools; evaluating technical architectures.
• Supporting stakeholders in setting up problems, running systems, and analyzing results. You are someone who has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a desire to guide and influence a broad research community, thrives on solving problems, and is able to:
• Apply knowledge of quantum physics, mathematics, and engineering to analyze problems and determine technical solutions.
• Work effectively across several different functional areas in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Handle and prioritize multiple assignments.
• Synthesize information to solve complex problems.
• Ability to clearly communicate to peers and leadership in a variety of methods and forums.
  
  

A successful candidate will possess a strong understanding of and experience in at least three of the following:

• Mathematics and/or quantum physics research.
• Computer architecture and engineering.
• C/C and Python.
• Designing, developing, managing and maintaining systems hardware and/or software, ensuring performance, security, scalability, maintainability, and reliability.