Postdoctoral Researcher – Human-Agent Collaboration in Scientific Discovery

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Human-Agent Collaboration in Scientific Discovery

CO - Golden

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

40

The Computational Sciences Center (CSC) has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher in Human-Agent Collaboration for Scientific Discovery. This emerging research area takes on a multidisciplinary approach (across Human-AI (HAI) teaming, natural language processing, and AI for Science) to explore frameworks that integrate agentic AI systems into the day-to-day work of human scientists. We are specifically looking for a candidate interested in (1) developing new algorithms for orchestrating multi‑turn dialogue works for HAI collaboration in long‑running scientific discovery projects, optimizing asynchronous communication and coordination between humans and agents, or enhancing the explainability of agentic decision making, and (2) leading an effort to design and conduct human evaluations measuring real‑world efficacy with scientists.

The postdoc will be paired with an AI research mentor in CSC and will contribute to a platform developed by a multi‑institution collaborative project led by NLR. The ideal candidate is a curious, self‑driven researcher with a strong technical background in applied mathematics and statistics pertinent to design of experiments for interactive evaluations, as well as a strong software engineering skill set.

• Independently lead an AI research project, under supervision of your research mentor and in collaboration with other project members, with the goal of submitting a manuscript at a top‑tier venue at the end of the first year.
• Lead an effort to conduct interactive evaluations of the proposed research with human scientists through real‑world studies.
• Develop, test, and push high‑quality code from project work to the platform.
• Communicate research progress verbally and in writing through regular project updates.

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

• Experience using software frameworks and standards for designing and evaluating agentic AI systems (e.g., Docker, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent Skills, Open Hands).
• Familiarity with the fundamentals of large language models: architectures, training pipelines including post‑training, data curation, and downstream deployment as agents.
• Experience applying machine learning to scientific discovery problems (e.g., materials discovery, bio, chemistry, physics, theorem proving, etc.).
• Strong communication skills and a proactive, question‑driven approach to collaboration.

• Research experience in human‑computer interaction and/or human‑AI teaming.
• Track record of first‑author publications in top‑tier venues.
• Demonstrated interest in using AI as a tool to solve scientific challenges.

Job Profile:
Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $76,600 - $126,400

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short‑term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance‑, merit‑, and achievement‑based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.