John von Neumann Fellowship 2026

About Sandia:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide

• Extraordinary co-workers

• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world

• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities

• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)

• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

Looking to advance the frontiers of research in computational mathematics and scientific computing? Are you passionate about impacting problems of national importance? If so, envision the opportunities as Sandia's next John von Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow.

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 John von Neumann Fellowship in Computational Science. This is one of Sandia's most prestigious postdoctoral fellowships with funding from the Applied Mathematics Research Program in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research and Sandia's Lab Directed Research and Development Program. In this position, you will:

• Address complex problems in support of mission areas of national importance,

• Collaborate with world class researchers on challenging research questions, and

• Disseminate your work via leading publication and conference venues.

  We are seeking applications from researchers in the broad domain of computational and applied mathematics, including algorithm analysis, applied probability, combinatorial scientific computing, control theory, data science, data driven methods, discrete mathematics, discretization methods, graph algorithms, high-performance computing, integral equations and nonlocal models, inverse problems, linear and multilinear algebra, mathematical analysis, meshing, modeling & simulation, multilevel/multiphysics/multiscale methods, numerical analysis, operations research, optimization, ordinary and partial differential equations, numerical solvers, quantum information science, scientific machine learning, statistical inference, time integration, and uncertainty quantification.

  We seek applicants with interest in making a positive impact through the advancement of computational methods for scientific and engineering applications, including additive manufacturing, circuit simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computational solid mechanics, cyber security, data science, Earth systems, electrical systems, electromagnetics, hyperspectral imaging, machine learning, magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD), micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS), material design, molecular dynamics, power grid, sensor data fusion, shock physics, signal processing, subsurface flow and mechanics, and turbulence modeling.

  The appointment is for one year, with the option of a second year, and includes a highly competitive salary, moving expenses and a generous professional travel allowance. You will pursue a combination of self-directed research and integration with existing Sandia research and development (R&D) projects, under the guidance of Sandia staff mentors. You are expected to publish the results of your work in leading journals and present it at top-tier conferences. Applicants on this requisition may be considered for this and other postdoctoral positions at Sandia National Laboratories. This appointment may be located in Albuquerque, NM or Livermore, CA.

  TO APPLY, PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:

• Click "Apply for Job" on this page and submit a single PDF file containing your cover letter, CV, and a 2-3 page (not counting references) research idea. This research idea should be accessible to a broad range of computational scientists and mathematicians. The idea may include some background information, but it should primarily focus on the research you intend to pursue as the JvN fellow and how this research could impact Sandia.

• Have three letters of recommendation submitted to vonneumann@sandia.gov with "2026 VN Fellowship" as the subject line.

  Complete applications received through November 26, 2025 will receive full consideration.

Qualifications We Require:

• You have or will receive a Ph.D. in applied/computational mathematics or a related area, such as computer science, engineering, or statistics, conferred after January 1, 2022 and no later than August 2026.

• A background that includes research experience in one or more of the areas listed above, as evidenced by a strong record of research publications and presentations.

• A compelling research proposal for self-directed research to be conducted as a von Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow. The research proposal must be mathematical in nature (broadly interpreted) and have relevance to computational, scientific, engineering, or analysis work at Sandia.

• Appropriate background and experience to pursue the proposed work.

• Due to U.S. export-control laws, only U.S. Persons (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, asylees, or refugees) are eligible for consideration.

Qualifications We Desire:

• Ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments on problems from diverse application domains and in partnership with specialists in other domains

• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills

• A dedication to encouraging a diverse and inclusive culture, as demonstrated by past activities listed in your application materials such as outreach activities, trainings, etc.

• Community leadership as evidenced via activities such as participation in student or professional organizations, organizational activities, etc.

• Related professional experience such as internships in industry or national labs, participation in visiting research programs, etc.

• Software development experience in C++, C, Fortran, MATLAB, R, Python, Julia, or similar languages

• Experience with high-performance scientific computing and large-scale computational simulation software

About Our Team:

One of the country's largest research facilities, Sandia employs almost 17,000 people in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore, California, in an exciting and highly collaborative multidisciplinary work environment. Our mission areas include nuclear weapons, energy, nonproliferation, defense, infrastructure, homeland security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity. We provide technical leadership for the nation in scientific simulation, high-performance computing, scientific machine learning and extreme-scale data analysis. Our state-of-the-art parallel-computing environment includes numerous large-scale clusters and other specialized computing systems.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment. Under federal law, citizens and agents of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation are generally prohibited from accessing Sandia National Laboratories. Accordingly, such individuals will not be considered for employment unless they are also a citizen of the United States.

If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract. All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.

EEO:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

Job ID: 696109

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F