Research Engineer; Scientist

What You Will Do

What You Will Do

This position will be filled at either the Scientist 1 or Scientist 2 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

Scientist 1 $ 96,600 - $158,000

The Analytics, Intelligence, and Technology Division (A‑Division) – Advanced Research in Cyber Systems (A‑4) group is seeking an early‑career Research Engineer to support the Trustworthy and Reliable AI Laboratory (TRAIL). This role offers the opportunity to apply and expand expertise in software engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models (LLMs) in support of research teams for the LANL global security mission.

As an entry‑level Research Engineer you will work closely with research scientists, mission operators, and software engineers to rapidly prototype, evaluate, and transition novel research concepts into operationally relevant capabilities. This role focuses on developing new capabilities from emerging technologies for real‑world mission problems, developing proof‑of‑concept systems, and iterating on research prototypes in operational environments supporting organizations such as the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of War, Department of Homeland Security, and the US Intelligence Community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the maturation of research prototypes into reliable, maintainable, and operationally deployable capabilities.
• Rapidly iterate on prototype systems based on research findings, stakeholder feedback, and evolving mission requirements.
• Prototype and evaluate emerging techniques in operationally relevant environments, balancing research objectives with mission, security, scalability, and usability constraints.
• Work in exploratory research environments where requirements may evolve as prototype capabilities mature and mission understanding develops.
• Support development, evaluation, and operational integration of LLM‑based solutions, retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and agentic AI workflows applied to mission problems.
• Develop and maintain modern web applications and software solutions using contemporary front‑end and back‑end frameworks, APIs, databases, and cloud‑native technologies in support of mission‑focused applications and services.
• Collaborate with researchers, engineers, cybersecurity professionals, and mission stakeholders to identify operational gaps, translate mission needs into prototype AI capabilities, and evaluate solutions in realistic operational contexts.
• Contribute to software development efforts in Linux‑based environments utilizing Git, Git Lab, Docker, and Kubernetes for on‑prem, high‑performance computing, and cloud architectures.
• Assist with implementation and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines supporting deployment and testing.
• Document technical work, communicate findings, and support presentations and reviews for technical and non‑technical audiences.

Scientist 2 $ 106,400 - $176,000

In addition to the responsibilities outlined at the lower level, at this level you must be able to operate independently, be self‑sufficient, and exercise personal initiative in successfully completing assigned tasks.

• Lead the design, prototyping, evaluation, and operational transition of new capabilities supporting mission‑focused research environments.
• Guide prototype architecture decisions and technical trade studies balancing research innovation with operational constraints.
• Independently design and implement scalable architectures and workflows for mission applications.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute technical guidance to multidisciplinary project teams.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and provide technical recommendations for adoption and implementation.
• Contribute to strategic planning and execution of research initiatives aligned with national security objectives.
• Coordinate technical efforts across multiple projects while balancing priorities, schedules, and deliverables.

Minimum

Job Requirements:

Software Development

• Experience developing software within Unix/Linux…