Postdoctoral Research Associate

Requisition Id 15076 

­­Overview:  

 As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support resilience of critical infrastructure system projects at ORNL. This position resides in the Critical Infrastructure Resilience (CIR) Group in the Human Dynamics Section, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, National Security Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).    

As a Postdoctoral Research Associate, you will contribute to cutting-edge research and development efforts aimed at enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure systems against various threats and disruptions. This position offers a unique opportunity to work on interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with leading experts, tackling challenges related to energy, water, cybersecurity, transportation, and more, with a special emphasis on grid resilience assessments and equity analysis. You will have the opportunity to creatively use interdisciplinary methods from computational data science, machine learning, geographical information sciences, and many other topics to help frame and solve the above problems on a national and global scale.   

The successful candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research and development efforts aimed at enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure systems against various threats and disruptions. You will work on advancing analytic methods and tools to improve understanding of critical infrastructure resilience, specifically improving access to electrical power for climate resilience and grid security. Your research will help to inform investments in grid resilience and restoration, deliver immediate benefits to our existing emergency response systems, and provide visibility into disparities in access to energy.  

The National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory leads scientific and technological breakthroughs to confront some of the nation’s most difficult security challenges. We develop interdisciplinary applications needed for the security of our nation today and target our vision on how these challenges may manifest themselves in a decade or more. NSSD’s research and development focuses on cybersecurity and cyber physical resiliency, data analytics, geospatial science and technology, nuclear nonproliferation, and high-performance computing for sensitive national security missions. We also enhance ORNL contributions to national security challenges by working closely with leading researchers at the lab in areas such as nuclear and chemical sciences and engineering, applied materials, advanced manufacturing, biosecurity, transportation, and computing. 

The CIR Group is a part of the Geospatial Science and Human Security Division at ORNL. The CIR group is heavily engaged in modeling risk and resilience of critical infrastructures to achieve equitable, reliable and adaptable built environments through data ecosystems creation, data science and integrated complex systems analysis. The group’s vision is to enable a sustainable, safe, and secure critical infrastructure for all. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Conduct research on grid resilience assessment methodologies, including modeling and simulation of grid operations under stress conditions, identification of vulnerabilities, and development of resilience enhancement strategies. 
• Contribute to the design, development, and implementation of new models, methods, and algorithms that improve our understanding of critical infrastructure resilience, specifically improving access to electrical power for climate resilience and grid security purposes.
• Investigate the intersection of critical infrastructure resilience and equity, analyzing the differential impacts of infrastructure disruptions on vulnerable communities. Develop frameworks for assessing energy affordability considerations in resilience planning and policymaking, with a focus on ensuring secure access to reliable services and resources during and after emergencies.
• Analyze large-scale datasets from diverse sources to extract insights relevant to grid resilience and equity analysis. Apply statistical techniques and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and trends related to infrastructure vulnerabilities, social vulnerabilities, and their interdependencies.
• Develop processes for transportation route and mode identification and facility sighting, considering natural disaster resiliency, climate change, and energy affordability.
• Contribute to and lead team publications in journals, participate in conferences, and engage with other scientists and analysts in the private sector, academia, and US Government communities.
• All team members deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in computational data sciences and engineering, applied mathematics, geography, statistics, computer engineering or equivalent field and 0-2 years of research experience.  
• Background in quantitative analysis, mathematical modeling, data science and simulation techniques with expertise in optimization techniques. 
• Experience with programming languages such as Python, R, or MATLAB and experience with relevant tools and frameworks for data analysis and machine learning. 
• Experience with database technologies, particularly to store, analyze, and manipulate spatio-temporal data. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of infrastructure systems, including energy, transportation, water, and telecommunications, and their interactions with social and economic factors. 
• Publication record demonstrating contributions to peer-reviewed journals and conferences in relevant domains. 
• Familiarity with industry standards and best practices for grid resilience assessments, such as NERC CIP standards, as well as equity frameworks and methodologies. 
• Experience working collaboratively in version control systems for source code management such as Git/GitLab. 
• Knowledge of major challenges in modeling and representing the built environment. 
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including peer-reviewed publications, with the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and present technical information to various audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a strong commitment to achieving project goals and delivering high-quality results. 

Special Requirements: 

• Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.

• Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

• In addition, we offer a flexible work environment that supports both the organization and the employee. A hybrid/onsite working arrangement may be available with this position. 

About ORNL

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.