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Oak Ridge National Laboratory · 1 month ago

Principal Engineer for Geospatial Computing Infrastructure

Tennessee (TN)

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff

10+ years exp

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory with a legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. They are seeking a Principal Engineer for Geospatial Computing Infrastructure to lead the establishment of a next-generation Geospatial Data & Computing Center, focusing on high-performance computing and geospatial science innovations.

Advanced MaterialsClean EnergyEnergyEnergy ManagementManufacturingNuclearRenewable Energy

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Develop and refine a strategic roadmap for the GDC, including defining its mission, vision, value proposition, operating model (services, research, partnerships), business case, metrics of success and growth path

Oversee the effective integration, operation, scaling and optimization of the GDC’s compute, storage, networking and geospatial-data assets (existing and planned). Ensure high performance, high availability, cost-effectiveness, data integrity, and operational resilience

Define, implement and continually improve service offerings (e.g., large-scale geospatial compute pipelines, data ingest/curation/archive, analytics/visualization, user support). Establish operating policies, SLAs, user workflows, resource allocation models and performance metrics

Cultivate and lead a research-oriented culture within the center: identify and integrate emerging geospatial/HPC technologies (e.g., ML Ops for geospatial data, real-time analytics, cloud/HPC hybrid, edge geospatial compute, neuromorphic, quantum), pilot new capabilities, foster innovation partnerships (academia, industry, federal sponsors). Serve as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on research proposals, secure external funding, and help shape the center’s research agenda

Hire, develop, and lead a highly agile and high-performing multidisciplinary team covering, HPC/data infrastructure, data engineering, software engineering, user engagement, and operations. Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, inclusion and continuous learning

Serve as the external interface for the center: liaise with sponsors (DOE, other federal agencies, industry, academia), build and maintain relationships, understand user needs, market the center’s capabilities, co-develop new programs. Internally align with ORNL leadership, HPC facility management, ORNL’s National Center for Computational Sciences, data services groups, programmatic divisions and labs

Develop and manage budgets, resource planning (people, infrastructure, capital investments), cost model, vendor and subcontractor relationships. Define governance structures, policies (data governance, security, access), compliance (cybersecurity, data privacy, export controls)

Define performance metrics and dashboards for the center (e.g., utilization, throughput, time-to-science, user satisfaction, cost per unit, growth of services), regularly report to ORNL leadership, sponsors and stakeholders. Drive continuous improvement and benchmarking against peer organizations

Ensure robustness of operations (backup/archival, disaster recovery, continuity), manage risk (data loss, data protection, downtime), oversee infrastructure lifecycle (refresh, decommissioning), and uphold industry best practices in HPC/data center operations

Qualification

Geospatial ScienceHigh Performance ComputingData Infrastructure ManagementResearch LeadershipService Delivery ModelsBudget ManagementData GovernanceTeam BuildingStakeholder EngagementOperational ExcellenceCommunication Skills

Required

Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, Geospatial Science (GIS/remote sensing), Electrical/Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline

Minimum of 10–12 years of relevant experience (or equivalent) in one or more of the following: geospatial science/engineering, HPC/data center operations, large-scale data infrastructure, research center leadership, service delivery in a technical organization, or related field

Proven track record of leadership: building and managing multidisciplinary teams, developing strategy, hiring, mentoring, and managing scientists/engineers/technologists

Solid technical expertise across high performance computing (compute, storage, interconnects, networking), large-scale data management (ingest, curation, archive), geospatial data workflows (remote sensing, GIS, mapping, analytics) and infrastructure-as-a-service models

Experience with service delivery models (e.g., user support, resource allocation, service catalogue, SLAs) and/or research infrastructure

Experience engaging with federal sponsors (e.g., DOE, DoD, other agencies) or large external stakeholders; demonstrated ability to produce proposals, manage programs, and interface at senior levels

Strong communication and collaboration skills: able to articulate vision and technical concepts to senior leadership, sponsors, non-technical stakeholders, and users; comfortable representing the center externally

Demonstrated financial/acquisition/contract experience: budget planning, vendor/subcontractor management, procurement, cost-modelling, and governance oversight

Demonstrated familiarity with data governance, security, compliance (cybersecurity, export controls, access policies) as applies to HPC/data infrastructure in federal research environments

Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory

Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs

Preferred

Experience specifically in geospatial high-performance computing, e.g., leveraging HPC for remote sensing, large-scale mapping, geospatial analytics, Earth system science, real-time geospatial streaming, or associated research infrastructure

Experience leading or being part of a research center or institute (or similar) with a mix of service delivery and research mission

Experience with leading edge geospatial/HPC technologies: AI/ML for remote sensing/geospatial, cloud-HPC hybrid architectures, geospatial edge compute, real-time analytics, and geospatial big data platforms

Demonstrated success securing external funding and managing the resulting programs

Familiarity with ORNL-style national laboratory environment (or similarly complex research institution), federal research stakeholders, user facilities, and large-scale infrastructure operations

Established professional network in the geospatial, HPC or data infrastructure community; prior leadership of/participation in geospatial or HPC user communities, etc

Prior experience with practices of operationalizing research infrastructure: metrics, service catalogue development, business model transition (from support to mission-driven), and growing a team into a standalone organizational entity

Excellent written and oral communication skills

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