Principal Engineer for Geospatial Computing Infrastructure

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invites applications for a Principal Engineer for Geospatial Computing Infrastructure to launch and build a next-generation Geospatial Data & Computing Center to support ORNL's geospatial high-performance computing research portfolio within the Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, National Security Sciences Directorate. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership — Develop and refine a strategic roadmap for the Geospatial Data Center (GDC) including mission definition, value proposition, business model, and growth trajectory; define performance metrics and success indicators. Infrastructure and Operations — Oversee compute, storage, networking, and geospatial-data asset integration; establish service offerings (e.g., large-scale geospatial compute pipelines, data ingest/curation/archive), operating policies, SLAs, and resource allocation models; ensure high performance, availability, cost-effectiveness, and operational resilience. Research and Innovation — Foster research culture around emerging geospatial/HPC technologies including ML Ops, real-time analytics, cloud/HPC hybrid, edge compute, and quantum; serve as principal investigator on research proposals and secure external funding. Team Building — Hire and develop multidisciplinary teams covering HPC/data infrastructure, engineering, and operations. Stakeholder Engagement — Serve as external interface liaising with federal sponsors, academia, and industry. Governance and Compliance — Develop budgets, define data governance, security, and access policies; ensure cybersecurity and export control compliance. Basic Qualifications: Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, Geospatial Science (GIS/remote sensing), or related discipline. Minimum 10-12 years in geospatial science/engineering, HPC operations, data infrastructure, research center leadership, or related field. Proven team-building and strategic leadership experience. Technical expertise in HPC, large-scale data management, geospatial workflows, and infrastructure-as-a-service models. Track record engaging federal sponsors (DOE, DoD, other agencies) and managing programs at senior levels. Preferred Qualifications: Specific geospatial HPC experience (remote sensing, large-scale mapping, Earth system science). AI/ML for geospatial analysis, cloud-HPC hybrid, edge compute, real-time analytics experience. Success securing external funding and managing programs. National laboratory environment familiarity. Special Requirements: HSPD-12 PIV badge capability required. SCI clearance ability required. Pre-placement drug test and random testing. No visa sponsorship available. Requisition ID: 15574.