Senior Computational Scientist/Scientific Programmer

Riverside Overview

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country’s most challenging technical problems. All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.

Position Overview

Riverside Research’s Applied Mathematics and Physics Solutions group is seeking a Senior Computational Scientist/Scientific Programmer to advance high-impact computational electromagnetics (CEM), scientific computing, and physics-based modeling and simulation capabilities in support of challenging government and defense applications.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with independent problem-solving, technical leadership, and business acumen. This individual will lead and contribute to the development of advanced computational methods, guide multidisciplinary technical teams, and translate complex customer problems into effective technical solutions.

The position offers the opportunity to shape technical direction, lead research and development efforts, engage directly with customers, and help grow a portfolio of technical programs and capabilities. The successful candidate will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, communicate effectively across technical and business audiences, and take ownership of technical outcomes.

Candidate can work in our facilities in Fairfax, VA or Dayton, OH.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Provide technical direction and subject matter expertise in computational electromagnetics, applied mathematics, computational physics, and scientific modeling and simulation. Formulate approaches to complex technical problems, evaluate alternatives, manage technical risk, and drive solutions from concept through implementation and validation.
• Research and Algorithm Development: Research, develop, implement, evaluate, and improve state-of-the-art numerical methods, computational algorithms, and physics-based models to address challenging electromagnetic and related scientific problems.
• Technical Program Leadership: Serve as a Principal Investigator (PI), technical lead, or equivalent technical authority for research, development, and customer-funded efforts. Establish technical objectives, develop execution strategies, manage technical risks, and ensure delivery of high-quality results.
• Customer Engagement and Business Growth: Engage with government and defense customers to understand mission needs, communicate technical approaches, build customer confidence, and identify opportunities for follow-on work and new technical capabilities.
• Technical Planning and Proposal Development: Contribute to technical volumes, cost and schedule estimates, statements of work, multi-year technical roadmaps, and government proposals. Help shape fundable research and development concepts aligned with customer needs and organizational strategy.
• Software and Computational Development: Contribute to scientific software development through algorithm design, requirements definition, interface specifications, verification and validation planning, code reviews, and performance evaluation. Collaborate with software engineers to ensure that computational methods are implemented as reliable, maintainable, and usable software.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Provide technical guidance and coordinate work across scientists, software engineers, electrical and RF engineers, program managers, and other stakeholders. Align technical execution with program objectives, schedules, resources, and customer commitments.
• Technical Communication: Prepare and present technical reports, research findings, briefings, and recommendations for audiences ranging from technical specialists to customers and senior leadership.
• Mentoring and Team Development: Mentor junior and mid-level staff, promote technical rigor and sound engineering practices, and help develop the next generation of technical leaders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance and consent to CI Poly
• Education and Experience:
• Degree in physics, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related STEM discipline
• Bachelor's with 8+ years of experience, or
• Master's with 6+ years of experience
• PhD with 3+ years of experience
• Relevant years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
• Demonstrated experience developing, applying, or validating physics-based computational models, numerical methods, or scientific simulation software.
• Strong foundation in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, computational physics, or a closely related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated proficiency in scientific computing and programming, including experience in a relevant compiled language such as C, C++, or Fortran and/or an equivalent scientific programming environment.
• Ability to independently frame complex technical problems, evaluate potential approaches, exercise sound technical judgment, and deliver results with limited direction.
• Demonstrated technical leadership, such as leading a research task, directing technical work, serving as a technical lead or PI, or taking ownership of a significant technical deliverable.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines, build productive working relationships, and mentor or support the development of other technical staff.
• Ability to balance technical rigor with customer needs, practical constraints, and program objectives.
• Ability to travel (less than 10%)

Desired

• Active Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance w/ CI Poly
• PhD in physics, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, computational science, or a related discipline with 8+ years of experience.
• Experience with numerical techniques such as method of moments, surface or volumetric integral equations, finite-difference time-domain methods, finite-element methods, asymptotic methods, domain decomposition, hierarchical Adaptive Cross Approximation (hACA), or multi-level fast multipole methods (MLFMM).
• Experience with high-performance scientific computing, parallel algorithms, distributed computing, or performance optimization on large computing systems, including MPI and/or OpenMP.
• Demonstrated contributions to business development, including customer engagement, opportunity shaping, proposal development, technical volume leadership, or development of follow-on work.
• Publications, technical reports, patents, or other demonstrated contributions to scientific or engineering advancement.

Global Comp

$130,000 - $200,000 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees. Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran’s status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.