Vacant job

Job Description

Are you a highly motivated researcher with a burning interest in HPC (High-Performance Computing) and a drive to solve complex scientific challenges? Do you thrive in an R&D environment where your ideas and the software you develop have a direct impact on cutting-edge research?

We are seeking Postdoctoral Researchers in HPC Software for the Scientific Software Unit at KTH Center for Scientific Computing (KCSC). The position is funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) within the SEESSI initiative, which aims to adapt Sweden's leading software in molecular dynamics, fluid mechanics, and quantum chemistry for next-generation hardware.

You will join a project team of HPC software researchers at KCSC, collaborating closely with and creating tangible impact for three of Sweden's leading HPC codes: GROMACS (one of the world's most widely used software packages for molecular dynamics), Neko (a highly scalable framework for fluid mechanics simulations nominated for the ACM Gordon Bell Prize in 2023), and VeloxChem (a versatile open-source software for quantum chemistry calculations).

As a Postdoctoral Researcher, your focus will be on developing innovative, technology-aware algorithmic methods targeted at these strategic software packages. Our goal is to go beyond traditional performance optimization; through a cross-disciplinary approach, we advance or redesign central algorithms for modern HPC architectures, with energy efficiency as a central design criterion.

Key research objectives include:

• Mixed-precision algorithms: Design and implement formulations for central domain-specific computational kernels to leverage hardware with low numerical precision without compromising simulation accuracy.
• Data-centric optimization: Design and implement communication schemes and data access strategies tailored for systems beyond the exascale, for example, via GPU-centric communication techniques.
• Collaboration and impact: We encourage you to publish your research and participate in leading international conferences. This gives you the opportunity to contribute directly to the core codebases and reach a global user base.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A completed PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD. This qualification requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Very good practical experience in software development in modern C++ and/or Fortran.
• Experience in parallel programming for multi-core processors (CPUs), GPUs, and distributed systems using programming models such as OpenMP, CUDA, SYCL, MPI, and OpenSHMEM.
• Practical experience in optimizing software for large-scale HPC systems, including advanced tracing and performance profiling on modern HPC platforms.
• Excellent communication skills in English, as well as documented ability to communicate research results as required in daily work.
• Ability to work independently on technical solutions and research questions while contributing constructively as part of a team.

We are looking for a candidate with solid experience in software development for scientific applications and high-performance computing, as well as deep expertise in performance optimization.

Merits

• At the application deadline, no more than three years have passed since the PhD degree or an equivalent foreign degree was awarded.
• Experience in performance modeling, performance analysis, and optimization for heterogeneous architectures.
• Experience in software development within one of the following areas: molecular dynamics, fluid mechanics simulations, or quantum chemistry.
• Experience working on large-scale scientific software projects and research collaborations.
• Awareness of diversity and equal opportunity issues, with a particular focus on gender equality.

We will place great emphasis on personal qualities.

Join KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and contributing to the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are quality issues and a clear part of KTH's values as a university and public authority.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work and develop at KTH.

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Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents are not issued in either of these languages.
• A concise statement on why you wish to conduct research, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max 2 pages.

The application must be received by KTH no later than the last day of the application period by midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the Position

The employment is permanent, for a maximum of two years.

A Postdoctoral position is a time-limited merit-based appointment with a primary focus on research, intended as a first career step after the PhD.

Other

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An employment at KTH may be classified in a security class. If this applies to this specific position, a security clearance check will be conducted on the applicant in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved after the security clearance check.

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