Gil Herrera Fellowship in Quantum Information Science 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:

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 Gil Herrera Fellowship in Quantum Information Science. This is a prestigious postdoctoral research and academic fellowship with funding from Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. Selected fellows will also be able to take part in our strong academic partnerships between Sandia and our partner universities, which include the University of New Mexico (UNM), UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Illinois, Purdue, GA Tech, UT Austin, and many others.

We seek researchers with a background and interest in the broadly defined interdisciplinary area domain of Quantum Information Science (QIS) and related scientific fields, such as physics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering. We are particularly interested in applicants who can conduct self-directed theoretical and/or experimental research and serve as mentors to students in subject areas such as: algorithms and applications; design, fabrication, benchmarking, characterization, and optimization of quantum devices, novel qubit calibration and control schemes, quantum device and noise modeling, experimental design and discovery, and error mitigation techniques for multi-qubit quantum platforms. As a Herrera postdoctoral fellow, you will have opportunities to:

• Address complex problems in support of broad-ranging national security areas

• Collaborate with highly motivated researchers and faculty in partner universities on challenging research questions using state-of-the-art computational resources

• Collaborate with Sandia physicists developing multi-qubit systems on a variety of physical platforms (trapped ions, solid-state, superconducting, photonic)

• Present your work at leading publication and conference venues

• Share your knowledge with students at our partner institutions, reaching across cultural and institutional barriers

  As a Herrera QIS fellow, you will pursue a combination of both self-directed research in your topic area and integration with existing Sandia R&D projects, under the guidance of Sandia staff mentors. A proposal for your research plan will be requested as part of the interview process, and you will be expected to publish the results of your work in leading journals and present your work at top-tier conferences. While hybrid work-modes are possible (such as different work-from-home arrangements) it is strongly desired that the selected fellow relocates to be within reasonable commuting distance from one of the two main Sandia campus locations in Albuquerque (New Mexico) or Livermore (California), prioritizing the home location of their Sandia staff mentor.

  The selected Fellow will receive a two-year appointment, which includes a highly competitive salary, moving expenses, and a generous professional travel allowance. All interviews will be conducted virtually with an option for selected fellows to visit their physical campus as part of the interview process prior to accepting an offer.

  Application process:

• Apply directly to this posting by submitting a single PDF file containing your cover letter, CV, and a 2-5 page research proposal

• Have two letters of recommendation submitted to herrerafellow@sandia.gov with '2024 Herrera QIS Fellowship' as the subject line.

• Complete applications received through close of business (COB) January 31, 2026 will receive full consideration.

  **Applicants on this requisition may be considered for this and other postdoctoral positions at Sandia National Laboratories.

Qualifications We Require:

• You have completed or are pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, or a related science or engineering field

• A background that includes research experience as evidenced by a strong record of research publications and presentations

• A compelling research proposal for self-directed research to be conducted as a Gil Herrera fellow in the broadly defined interdisciplinary QIS area domain

• Built into the proposal, plans to mentor early graduate students, or engage with other educational outreach activities through Sandia's academic alliance with partnering universities

• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE security clearance which requires US Citizenship

Qualifications We Desire:

• Ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments alongside specialists in other domains

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

• Proven research community leadership through activities such as participation in student or professional organizations, outreach activities, etc.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills

• Software development experience in C++, C, Matlab, R, Python, Julia, or related languages, including proficiency in scientific computer programming

About Our Team:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. We are a world-class team of scientists, engineers, technologists, post docs, and visiting researchers all focused on cutting-edge technology, ranging from homeland defense, global security, biotechnology, and environmental preservation to energy and combustion research, computer security, and nuclear defense.

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:

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. 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.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

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: 696129

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F