Senior Emerging and Disruptive Technology Research Analyst

Requisition Id 12604 

Overview:  

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

 

Who Are We Looking For?

The Emerging Technology Analysis (ETA) effort at ORNL seeks applicants with experience and technical knowledge in researching emerging technologies such as microelectronics, quantum information technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing, and biotechnology. Our group is in ORNL’s Field Intelligence Operations Division (FIOD) within the National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD).

 

Reporting to the ETA Group Lead, you will be responsible for analyzing unclassified and classified information, producing written products, presenting results to audiences with disparate backgrounds, and proposing new topics to aid in understanding and qualifying disruptive technologies. The successful candidate is not expected to be an expert in all subject areas, but should possess a broad interest in mission-focused science and/or engineering.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Propose and contribute to the drafting of new analytic lines of effort.
• Perform multi-disciplined unclassified and classified analysis to identify threats and vulnerabilities engendered by emerging and disruptive technologies.
• Serve as a catalyst to identify opportunities for collaborative research and development between Oak Ridge National Laboratory open research programs and national security programs.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) from NSSD and other ORNL directorates/divisions in technical areas such as microelectronics, quantum information technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing, and biotechnology. Harness SME input into analytical products.
• Create analytical assessments and products on emerging and disruptive technology applications and issues to share with peers, management, and sponsors.
• Write peer-reviewed papers and briefings of both unclassified and classified analytical assessments regarding threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. Engage in community working groups.
• Present both unclassified and classified briefings regarding analytical assessments.
• Collaborate with government agencies and members of the national security community.
• Mentor early-to-mid-career analysts.
• Abide by all environmental, safety, health and quality requirements and implement practices per ORNL’s Standards-based Management System (SBMS).
• Maintain a strong commitment to the implementation of the Directorate’s values and ethics.
• Occasional domestic travel.

 

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 diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

 

Basic Qualifications:

• Any of the following combinations of education and experience:
  • B.S. in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) or other relevant field and 15  years of relevant experience, or
  • M.S. in STEM or other relevant field and  12 years of relevant experience, or
  • Ph.D. in STEM or other relevant field and 6 years of relevant experience.
• Occasional domestic travel is required.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in emerging and disruptive technologies and applications with a focus on identifying threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. Some technical depth in any of the technical areas listed above is a plus.
• Willingness to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills is essential.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with colleagues, ORNL SMEs, and external collaborators.
• Ability to interact with sponsors and officials from other government agencies.
• Prior experience with or knowledge related to emerging technical matters such as quantum engineering issues, opportunities in and concerns with AI/ML, or sy