[Hiring] AI/Machine Learning Research Scientist @Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Role Description

We are seeking a Machine Learning Research Scientist who will support the development of fundamentals for GeoAI imagery processing, self-supervised learning methods for large vision-language models to enable downstream imagery perception tasks including:

• Object detection and counting
• Visual question answering
• Semantic segmentation
• Change detection

This position resides in the GeoAI Research Group in the Geographic Data Science Section, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, National Security Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

As part of our team, you will support research tasks related to image preprocessing pipelines including:

• Pansharpening
• Geocoding
• Atmospheric compensation
• Image denoising
• Cloud masking
• Finetuning large geospatial foundation models for a variety of national security downstream tasks

The GeoAI Group is part of the Geospatial Science and Engineering Division (GSED) at ORNL. The group conducts cutting-edge research and publishes from novel machine learning-based solutions to large-scale geospatial application solutions. Research activities include:

• Design of efficient image preprocessing pipelines
• Machine learning workflows using high-performance computing techniques
• Conducting post-processing and validations of model outcomes

Under the guidance of senior research scientists, the selected applicant will take roles on multidisciplinary teams supporting cutting-edge research and engineering projects, deploying workflows on large-scale computing environments, leveraging ORNL’s Frontier for its dense GPU-based high-performance computing resources to train large GeoAI models.

Qualifications

• A PhD degree in electrical engineering, civil engineering, geoinformation science, or a related discipline
• A minimum of 4 years of applied experience
• Hands-on experience with training machine learning models on high-performance computing infrastructures leveraging GPU accelerators
• Experience building satellite imagery preprocessing workflows
• Experience using Python or other programming languages to develop AI algorithms in the PyTorch computing framework

Requirements

• Experience working with spatio-temporal datasets and remote sensing imagery
• Knowledge of distributed computing and uncertainty quantification
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever-changing needs

Special Requirements

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance from the Department of Energy.
• This position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position, requiring passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.
• Due to the SCI, you may also be subject to random polygraph testing.

Benefits

• Prescription Drug Plan
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Contributory Pension Plan
• Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits
• Generous Vacation and Holidays
• Parental Leave
• Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• Wellness Programs
• Educational Assistance
• Relocation Assistance
• Employee Discounts