Engineering and Physical Sciences Researcher with Security Clearance

The NSA invites you to be part of an elite team that's making a global impact by researching and developing revolutionary ideas. As an Engineering and Physical Sciences Researcher 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://lps.umd.edu. NSA is home to one of the largest and most established in-house research organizations within the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), employing scientists with world-class skills in fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, and cybersecurity. We collaborate with leading industries, universities, and national laboratories to advance core competencies, leverage work in overlapping disciplines, and solve some of the most challenging national security problems thought to be intractable by adversaries and commercial industry. NSA's Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) attracts top technical talent who not only solve the nation's urgent intelligence problems, but also invent what hasn't been invented and concentrate on what will be needed five, ten, fifteen years down the road. Through its partnership with the University of Maryland (UMD), LPS offers a unique environment where university, industry, and federal government scientists collaborate on research in advanced communication, sensing, and computer technologies. To learn more about LPS, visit: https://www.lps.umd.edu LPS is currently seeking experienced Engineering and Physical Sciences Researchers to lead advanced research efforts in the areas of: Electromagnetics engineering that enable high-performance wireless communications; integrated photonics for High Performance Computing (HPC); and novel computing devices for High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. LPS Researchers are expected to contribute to their technical fields by publishing in high-impact, peer reviewed journals; collaborating and contributing broadly with academia, industry, and the national laboratories; and supervising students and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, researchers must demonstrate an ability to work well in a team environment toward mission-oriented research goals, to provide unique and sometimes extraordinary subject matter expertise to the Intelligence Community (IC) and wider U.S. Government (USG) and bring their inventions to prototype or practical implementation. Lead Researcher: Active Devices for Beyond Moore's law/Cryologic. LPS is seeking a motivated experimentalist to lead a new research effort to discover, understand, and optimize novel devices for HPC. In the 'Beyond Moore's Law' era, the exploration of computing devices operating at very high speed, low-power, or offering greater functionality for memory and logic are critical to the development of future information technologies. LPS seeks to add to its growing number of research labs in novel classical computing devices and paradigms, which include laboratories for 2D and topological materials, superconducting reversible logic, and cryogenic interconnect for novel HPC, in addition to an entire office focused on novel architectures and system-level considerations for Advanced Computing Systems (ACS). This search is not predetermined towards a specific technology; rather, LPS seeks a researcher with skillsets and a fundamental research strategy that complements and enhances existing efforts. This new research area is expected to provide opportunities for internal Agency and external community collaboration, especially for future computing systems of relevance to the NSA. Although LPS researchers are encouraged to collaborate and pursue research funding opportunities internal to the Agency and across the USG, many LPS research projects are self-funded. This new research effort is expected to be provided with start-up funds, lab space, and materials, as well as being able to take advantage of existing beyond Moore's and cryologic labs, fabrication and measurement infrastructure. Lead Researcher: Novel Computing Devices for High Performance Computing (HPC) Applications The Advanced Computing Systems (ACS) Research Program has an immediate opening for a high energy top performing individual with outstanding technical skills to work on the development of next generation of computing systems. Responsibilities will include:
Helping to perform analysis of alternative physical devices, computational machines and architectures, including from "sketch" paper analysis to detailed modeling and simulation to designing microelectronics through system level hardware where necessary. Based upon the above work, where feasible, functional demonstration software, hardware and systems may be fabricated demonstrating and characterizing the new capabilities and suitability for critical mission needs. Collaborate with ACS research colleagues, and customers to identify opportunities and approaches to apply custom logic to NSA's mission needs. Work with agency, academic, industry and national lab researchers to identify techniques, develop models, and other means to demonstrate the suitability of the custom logic identified. Working across ACS teams and with state-of-the-art microelectronics industry partners to develop, codify logic algorithms, validate designs, and collaborate with contractors to fabricate novel Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) devices. Work with both internal agency and external contractor resources to design/develop electronic test apparatus and the software to demonstrate custom ASIC devices for the effectiveness of serving mission needs. Make recommendations to the agency for technologies that offer significant benefits for production systems for specific missions. Use knowledge of mathematics, engineering, cognitive sciences and physical sciences to investigate and if needed propose systematic investigations of phenomena using experimental methods to be performed by collaborators and vendors. Based on any experimental methods performed, develop theories and laws consistent with the results of any experimental methods performed. Help guide technical development of new technologies, products, and architectures to solve mission-related problems. 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 university, 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). FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. 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. Competencies
Lead Researcher: Active Devices for Beyond Moore's law / Cryologic:
The ideal candidate is someone whose research interests complement current NSA investments in fabrication, measurement, and materials development for HPC, and who has a proven track record of innovative research in technical areas of direct relevance to active devices for beyond Moore's law computing and cryogenic logic. Preferably, the expertise demonstrated should be in several of the following technical areas, and complementary to LPS investments in fabrication, measurement, and materials development for HPC hardware, including laboratory work in quantum materials and cryogenic logic: - Novel transistor development (e.g., ultra-low power, neuromorphic, superconducting, spintronic, optical) and impact on traditional and unconventional computer architectures.
- Fast measurement and circuit design (including GHz rate logic)
- Design, fabrication, and evaluation of logic and memory devices operating at cryogenic temperatures; and/or logic and memory devices utilizing novel material systems
- Active electronic device research complimentary to quantum materials or cryogenic logic.
- Industry/foundry capabilities in transistor-level device development and associated materials Position Specific Skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Desire to guide and influence a broad research community
- Apply knowledge of mathematics, engineering, cognitive sciences, and physical sciences to analyze problems and determine technical solutions
- Work