Group Leader, Data Engineering Group

Requisition Id14886

Overview:

The Computer Science and Mathematics Division (CSMD) is seeking an nationally recognized engineer to lead and grow world class research capabilities focused on solving the world's most challenging problems through artificial intelligence and data driven algorithms and systems.

CSMD creates the mathematics, artificial intelligence, and architecture-aware algorithms that harness machines, ideas, and data to enable far reaching scientific breakthroughs. We develop computer innovations and advanced practical tools to address scientific discovery, technology and national security challenges. CSMD delivers fundamental and applied research capabilities in a wide range of areas, including applied mathematics and computer science, decision science, discrete algorithms, multiscale methods, experimental computing systems, scalable algorithms and systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data management, workflow systems, analysis and visualization technologies, programming systems and environments, and system science and engineering.

The Data Engineering Group designs, builds, and maintains advanced data pipelines, distributed systems, and AI-driven workflows across security environments-from open research systems to highly secure government infrastructures. The group develops high-impact software tools for data preparation, feature engineering, metadata extraction, data validation, curation workflows for a wide range of applications, federated data management, and high-performance data archives supporting science and national security missions.

Purpose:

As part of our research team, you will provide technical leadership to software engineers, system engineers, system architects, and researchers that:Design, manage, and support advanced internal and external computing systems ranging in security postures from open research to highly secure environments. They also create and maintain a variety of innovative software tools related to data curation including data preparation workflows for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, data portals, metadata extraction, data quality assurance and data archival.

The Data Engineering Group Leader is a nationally recognized software engineering leader who works closely with the Section Head, Division Director, and peer group leaders to establish and implement the data and engineering technology directions for the group; supports the Group members to build upon their existing project portfolio and to ensure their continued success; ensure that staff members understand business opportunities; identify links to current and future funding opportunities and R&D programs; develop and implement consistent processes for open source software; model proper Environment, Safety, Security, Health, and Quality practices; and ensure an inclusive work environment where every employee feels safe, heard and appreciated-a workplace that sets an example for the broader community. As Group Leader, you will provide strategic and technical leadership to engineers, architects, and researchers who:

• Design, develop, and manage scalable data pipelines, systems for large-scale data ingestion, transformation, and delivery, and advanced data preparation workflows.
• Create intelligent automation and metadata-driven pipelines that power AI/ML models across a range of scientific and security domains.
• Build systems that ensure data quality, accessibility, and governance at scale, supporting reproducible AI research and operational decision-making.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

Lead the integration of data engineering and AI/ML best practices across all group projects, ensuring alignment with emerging industry and research trends.

Drive the adoption of modern data technologies such as cloud-native architectures, distributed computing frameworks, real-time data processing, AI model training pipelines, and data-centric AI approaches.

Partner with research teams to design end-to-end data and AI pipelines, from ingestion and preprocessing to AI model deployment and lifecycle management.

Leadership

• Work closely with the Section Head and Group Members to develop a vision and implement a strategy to pursue world-leading engineering and technology directions for the group. Demonstrate section team leadership.
• Support the Section Head in the operations of the section and represent Section Head when they are not available.
• Work with Group members to establish, communicate, and measure critical metrics for success and impact.
• Actively contribute to shaping the section, division's, directorate's, and laboratory's research plans and investments. Build strong teams by collaborating across ORNL and securing external expertise when needed. Leverage ORNL facilities and resources when developing new projects.
• Work with the Group members and the Section Head to assess and calibrate individual staff performance across the section. Evaluate progress regularly, providing feedback and addressing performance issues in a timely manner.
• Develop and implement Succession Planning with input from Group Members for all critical positions in the group to ensure future success.
• Ensure group is recruiting and hiring top candidates who are committed to world-class research and aspire to be the best in their field.
• Drive staff promotions and development.
• Address in a timely manner all concerns expressed by staff and any disciplinary actions.
• Lead by example, using the principles in ORNL's "Research Code of Conduct" as a guide for proposing, performing, and communicating research and in dealing with others.
• Employ best practices, such as holding regular meetings, being visible in the workplace, monitoring budgets, acknowledging sponsors, and adhering to ORNL business systems requirements regarding staff requests for foreign travel and submission of quality proposals.
• Coach and mentor staff regarding Battelle's "Safe Conduct of Research" principles and ensure all work is carried out safely, securely, and in compliance with ORNL policies, standards, and procedures.
• Model lab expectations for excellence in research, operations, and community engagement, and by working cooperatively to leverage capabilities across the lab.

Service

• Serve as direct supervisor for Group Members.
• Counsel/consult/mentor staff and transfer knowledge of specialized field(s) to a variety of staff, including senior staff.
• Connect staff to your network. Assist Group Members in setting long-term career goals. Identify additional mentors as appropriate and engage senior staff to act in this capacity.
• Be open and transparent in communicating information to your groups and communicate staff achievements and changes to stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Work with Group Members to ensure staff are participating actively in professional service (engagement in scientific societies, workshop and conference organization, peer review, advisory board membership, etc.).
• Advocate for and support internal and external recognition of staff achievements.
• Communicate funding/proposal opportunities to staff and support proposal development as appropriate (mentoring, proposal reviews, budget preparation, etc.).
• Ensure that staff manage their projects effectively to deliver results on scope, schedule, and budget while meeting scientific, technical, and business expectations.
• Effectively communicate the importance of protecting proprietary or sensitive information and complying with ORNL cybersecurity policies and guidelines.
• Recognize and support the contributions and responsibilities of Group Leaders and Laboratory Space Managers to lab safety.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS degree in computer science, data engineering, computer engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field with a minimum of 8 years relevant experience.
• Demonstrated leadership in engineering teams specializing in scalable data systems, AI/ML workflow automation, and large-scale data management.
• Extensive experience with Agile software development, modern data engineering technologies (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Airflow), database systems (SQL/NoSQL), and cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) focused on AI applications.
• Demonstrated experience in effectively leading and managing technical personnel
• Demonstrated experience in following established guidelines and meeting deadlines consistently to ensure efficient organizational operation.
• The proven ability to positively interact with researchers, program managers, and ORNL leadership.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced engineering environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.
• Evidence of leadership at a DOE laboratory or in a similar external environment and high potential for further leadership development.
• Experience recruiting, hiring, and mentoring staff members.
• Ability to connect to ORNL's missions and transition research into use.
• Ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments on problems from various application domains and in partnership with specialists in other domains.
• Leadership in professional communities as evidenced via activities such as participation in professional organizations, organizational activities, etc.
• Experience leading or contributing to complex software projects.
• Experience architecting AI/ML data pipelines, including data labeling, feature extraction, training/validation workflows, model monitoring, and retraining strategies.
• Familiarity with emerging trends in data-centric AI, model-driven data engineering, and federated learning.
• Contributions to open-source data engineering, ML Ops, or data science communities.
• Active DOE Q clearance.

Accountabilities:

• To group staff, for the quality and safety of their work environment and opportunity for professional growth.
• To section, for world-leading science and technology directions, safe effective, and compliant operations, ownership of assigned staff, facilities, and equipment, and the quality of products and services.
• To customer, for the quality of products and service.

Authorities:

• Develop a vision and implement a strategy to pursue world-leading science and technology directions for the section.
• Hold group member accountable for performance.
• Act to ensure safe and effective operations.
• Hire group members.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation's most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: 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, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.