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Postdoctoral Appointee - AI/ML for Particle Accelerators

Argonne National Laboratory · Lemont, IL · $72,879–$121,465 a year · Full time

Posted Jul 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about software you wrote that others relied on. How did you make it dependable?

What they are checking: Whether they have the strong programming skills the posting asks for, including testing and maintenance.

Tell me about a time you had to convince skeptical experts to try a new approach.

What they are checking: Whether they can earn trust from experienced operators and physicists who are cautious about change.

What would you do

Your PhD may not be in accelerator physics. How would you get up to speed quickly?

What they are checking: Whether they have a realistic plan to learn the domain that the posting says can be new to them.

You get a short window of machine study time and your method doesn't work as expected. How do you use the rest of the shift?

What they are checking: Whether they can adapt experiments in real time and still learn something from limited beam time.

About the work

How would you use an LLM-based agent to help an operator diagnose a fault in the APS injector?

What they are checking: Whether they can picture a concrete, useful role for agentic AI in a real control room.

Where would you not want an AI agent making changes to a particle accelerator, and how would you put guardrails in place?

What they are checking: Whether they think seriously about safety and trust when AI touches machine control.

What machine learning methods have you used for tuning or optimization, like Bayesian optimization or reinforcement learning?

What they are checking: Whether they know the methods most used for accelerator tuning and their tradeoffs.

Explain how beam emittance or orbit is measured and why it matters for a storage ring.

What they are checking: Whether they have the accelerator physics basics or can show they are picking them up.

How would you measure whether an AI tool actually helps operators make better decisions?

What they are checking: Whether they think about evaluation from the user's side, not just model accuracy.

How would you handle noisy, drifting data from accelerator diagnostics in your models?

What they are checking: Whether they understand real machine data problems like sensor drift and changing conditions.

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The full job description

As published by Argonne National Laboratory.

Postdoctoral Researcher in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) for advanced tuning and diagnosis of particle accelerators. The Accelerator Operations and Physics (AOP) Group of the Accelerator Systems Division (ASD), Advanced Photon Source (APS) is hiring a postdoctoral researcher for a multi-year appointment. The postdoctoral researcher will work to develop and deploy advanced AI/ML methods for analysis, tuning, and control of particle beams and accelerator systems, with applications to the APS injector and the newly-upgraded APS storage ring. This work will explore applications of LLMs to accelerators, specifically, use of agentic AI to support intelligent system analysis, aid operator decision-making, automate complex workflows, and enable more adaptive approaches to machine tuning, diagnostics, and fault response. Experimental work on the existing APS injector accelerator complex and the new APS storage ring will be done to test the methods and assess their usefulness for accelerator operation. Position Requirements • PhD completed in the past 5 years or soon-to-be completed in accelerator physics or a related field is strongly preferred. PhD graduates in other branches of physical sciences, or in math, computer science, and electric engineering who have an interest in accelerator physics will also be considered. • Strong programming skills. • Proficiency in the Python programming language. • Working knowledge of UNIX or Linux. Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Experience • Experience with machine learning and accelerator operation. • Experience working with complex algorithms. • Experience using computing clusters for simulation and data analysis. • Experience with accelerator modeling and simulation codes, such as Elegant and Cheetah. • Experience with SDDS, Tcl/Tk, and scripting in Linux environment. Job Family Postdoctoral Job Profile Postdoctoral Appointee Worker Type Long-Term (Fixed Term) Time Type Full time The expected hiring range for this position is $72,879.00-$121,465.00. Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package. Click here to view Argonne employee benefits! As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department. All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

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