What are the responsibilities and job description for the Monte Carlo Codes Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
What You Will Do
The Monte Carlo Codes Group (XCP-3, https://www.lanl.gov/engage/organizations/xcp/xcp-3) at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking an early career postdoctoral researcher to join our world-class team! The successful applicant will gain experience in Monte Carlo particle transport methods and code development with one of the world's foremost Monte Carlo particle transport teams.
XCP-3 provides the Monte Carlo particle transport capability needed to accurately predict the interaction of radiation with matter. Our predictive capability is the world's foremost predictive tool for nuclear criticality safety simulations and plays a central role in many fields including nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, radiation detection, and radiation safety. The successful applicant will perform research and development to improve modeling and simulation capabilities in areas that support the national-security programs and mission of the Laboratory.
XCP-3 develops the widely used Monte Carlo N-Particle® (MCNP®) code (https://mcnp.lanl.gov) and the Monte Carlo Application Toolkit (MCATK) and associated capabilities. Our work supports a variety of Laboratory missions, including stockpile stewardship, nonproliferation, threat reduction, and energy and environmental sciences. We deliver technology, methods, production quality codes, and training to sponsors, primarily U.S. federal agencies, through research, development, and maintenance of high-quality software and documentation.
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to the modernization of electron transport capabilities in the MCNP code. The successful candidate will support the development of advanced Monte Carlo transport methods and the integration of modern scientific software practices. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining high-performance scientific software in Fortran, C/C , and Python; conducting verification and validation (V&V) studies for electron transport and coupled multi-particle transport physics; performing software testing, benchmarking, and documentation; and supporting modern software engineering workflows, including version control and continuous integration.
The candidate will work collaboratively with researchers who have expertise in computational physics, particle transport, and nuclear engineering to improve the accuracy, robustness, and maintainability of next-generation electron transport capabilities in the MCNP code. This position will also provide opportunities to present research at professional conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and build a strong professional network within the computational radiation transport community.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Candidates must have a strong background in Monte Carlo particle transport methods and/or other scientific software development, knowledge of electron/photon transport physics, and strong programming skills in Fortran and/or C as well as Python.
Communication
Candidates must have proficiency in technical communication including effective written and verbal skills with the ability to communicate with diverse audiences. This can be demonstrated and will be exercised through informal presentations and reports to teams, formal reports and presentations to colleagues and/or review committees, and interactions with professional audiences at meetings, conferences, and workshops. Candidates are expected to demonstrate ongoing progress and accomplishments through publishing research and development results in peer-reviewed proceedings and journals.
Collaboration
Teamwork is essential to the success of our group. As such, candidates will need to have demonstrated the ability to function effectively in a team environment with a willingness to learn new skills and be flexible in work assignments. This includes exhibiting professional conduct in interactions with colleagues and co-workers.
Clearance
The candidate must have the ability to obtain a DOE Q Clearance, which typically requires US Citizenship.
Education/Experience
Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, physics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related field completed within the past five years (or soon to be completed).
Desired Qualifications:
Ideal candidates will have experience with one or more of the following software tools/technologies:
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" 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.
Where You Will Work
Located in Northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. LANL enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. Our generous benefits package includes:
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 US Citizenship 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.
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.
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.
Incentive Compensation Program: For general program information refer to the Student Programs web page: https://www.lanl.gov/careers/career-options/student-internships/index.php
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 applicable 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 a disability accommodation, email applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505) 664-6947, opt. 3.
Instructions on How to Activate/Create a LANL Jobs Account:
Follow the instructions below if you have ever had an employee Z number, been a contractor, or received Los Alamos Lab insurance coverage to activate your account:
The Monte Carlo Codes Group (XCP-3, https://www.lanl.gov/engage/organizations/xcp/xcp-3) at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking an early career postdoctoral researcher to join our world-class team! The successful applicant will gain experience in Monte Carlo particle transport methods and code development with one of the world's foremost Monte Carlo particle transport teams.
XCP-3 provides the Monte Carlo particle transport capability needed to accurately predict the interaction of radiation with matter. Our predictive capability is the world's foremost predictive tool for nuclear criticality safety simulations and plays a central role in many fields including nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, radiation detection, and radiation safety. The successful applicant will perform research and development to improve modeling and simulation capabilities in areas that support the national-security programs and mission of the Laboratory.
XCP-3 develops the widely used Monte Carlo N-Particle® (MCNP®) code (https://mcnp.lanl.gov) and the Monte Carlo Application Toolkit (MCATK) and associated capabilities. Our work supports a variety of Laboratory missions, including stockpile stewardship, nonproliferation, threat reduction, and energy and environmental sciences. We deliver technology, methods, production quality codes, and training to sponsors, primarily U.S. federal agencies, through research, development, and maintenance of high-quality software and documentation.
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to the modernization of electron transport capabilities in the MCNP code. The successful candidate will support the development of advanced Monte Carlo transport methods and the integration of modern scientific software practices. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining high-performance scientific software in Fortran, C/C , and Python; conducting verification and validation (V&V) studies for electron transport and coupled multi-particle transport physics; performing software testing, benchmarking, and documentation; and supporting modern software engineering workflows, including version control and continuous integration.
The candidate will work collaboratively with researchers who have expertise in computational physics, particle transport, and nuclear engineering to improve the accuracy, robustness, and maintainability of next-generation electron transport capabilities in the MCNP code. This position will also provide opportunities to present research at professional conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and build a strong professional network within the computational radiation transport community.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Candidates must have a strong background in Monte Carlo particle transport methods and/or other scientific software development, knowledge of electron/photon transport physics, and strong programming skills in Fortran and/or C as well as Python.
Communication
Candidates must have proficiency in technical communication including effective written and verbal skills with the ability to communicate with diverse audiences. This can be demonstrated and will be exercised through informal presentations and reports to teams, formal reports and presentations to colleagues and/or review committees, and interactions with professional audiences at meetings, conferences, and workshops. Candidates are expected to demonstrate ongoing progress and accomplishments through publishing research and development results in peer-reviewed proceedings and journals.
Collaboration
Teamwork is essential to the success of our group. As such, candidates will need to have demonstrated the ability to function effectively in a team environment with a willingness to learn new skills and be flexible in work assignments. This includes exhibiting professional conduct in interactions with colleagues and co-workers.
Clearance
The candidate must have the ability to obtain a DOE Q Clearance, which typically requires US Citizenship.
Education/Experience
Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, physics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related field completed within the past five years (or soon to be completed).
Desired Qualifications:
Ideal candidates will have experience with one or more of the following software tools/technologies:
- Familiarity with MCNP and/or MCATK and other particle transport codes (e.g., ITS, Geant4, OpenMC, Shift, Serpent) and application areas.
- Parallelization frameworks such as OpenMP and OpenMPI.
- Linux-based software development environments and infrastructure such as git, Gitlab (including continuous integration and delivery automation), and CMake.
- Document preparation and maintenance software such as BibTeX, LaTeX, and/or LyX.
- Other large-scale scientific software and modern HPC features such as parallel filesystems, HDF5 data files, and Slurm queue management.
- Knowledge of numerical methods, statistical analysis, and/or uncertainty quantification.
- Experience with scientific software verification and/or validation.
- Interest in scientific software design, testing, and performance optimization.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" 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.
Where You Will Work
Located in Northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. LANL enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. 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)
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 US Citizenship 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.
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.
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.
Incentive Compensation Program: For general program information refer to the Student Programs web page: https://www.lanl.gov/careers/career-options/student-internships/index.php
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 applicable 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 a disability accommodation, email applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505) 664-6947, opt. 3.
Instructions on How to Activate/Create a LANL Jobs Account:
Follow the instructions below if you have ever had an employee Z number, been a contractor, or received Los Alamos Lab insurance coverage to activate your account:
- Select the Click Here button if you have been employed with the Lab or received insurance coverage.
- Please enter only your first and last name and current email address (an email with your validation code will be sent to you) to activate the account currently in our system.
- Enter your validation code as described in the email you receive and complete the 3-page registration form. Your account is now active, and you can apply for jobs or save to your basket. Important: Enter the validation code within 15 days to activate your account or your account will be deactivated.
- Select the Register button if you have never been employed with the Lab or received insurance coverage to Create an Account.
- From here, you will establish an account with username and password.
- Click the Vacancy Name number (in blue) to view any job's details.
- Click Apply or Add to Basket to apply later. Tip: To apply for a job or save your basket, you must have a LANL jobs account.