Freelance High Performance Computing Engineer Jobs in Alabama

Description Scientific Research Corporation (SRC) is seeking a Senior Data Scientist / Engineer with a strong background in data infrastructure and large-scale data environments to support U.S. Space Command mission data initiatives. This role supports the definition, architecture, and engineering of a large-scale on-premises data environment designed to ingest, store, process, and distribute space domain data across multiple classification levels. The selected candidate will work closely with requirements engineers, system architects, and government stakeholders to define technical solutions for a mission-scale data platform supporting 30+ petabytes of data and scaling to 200-500 racks of compute, storage, and network infrastructure. This is not a traditional data science role. The position sits at the intersection of: * Data engineering * Data architecture * Infrastructure engineering * Systems engineering and will play a key role in shaping the technical direction, requirements development, and acquisition strategy for mission data systems. This role focuses on designing and supporting a large-scale data environment that will process and manage significant volumes of space domain data. The system is expected to scale to tens of petabytes of data and hundreds of infrastructure racks, supporting advanced analytics and mission operations. The ideal candidate has experience working with large data environments, distributed systems, or high-performance computing platforms, and understands how data platforms are designed from both a software and infrastructure perspective. This position offers the opportunity to support critical national security missions while working on complex, large-scale data and infrastructure challenges. #LI-LH1 Requirements * Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering, or related quantitative field, and a current Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance * Minimum 7 years of progressive experience across both data engineering and data science disciplines, including expert proficiency in Python and Structured Query Language (SQL); demonstrated success designing Extract, Transform, Load/Extract, Load, Transform (ETL/ELT) pipelines; developing and deploying machine learning models; and working with big data technologies such as Apache Spark, Apache Airflow, or Apache Hadoop * Demonstrated knowledge of enterprise data architecture and storage hardware (e.g. Storage Area Networks (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS), and object storage), data center design principles, data governance practices, and understanding of space data characteristics, including experience with the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC) Data Catalog * Develop architecture for large-scale data platforms supporting petabyte-scale storage and analytics workloads * Define infrastructure requirements including: * Support planning for scalable environments ranging from 200-500 racks * Design distributed data environments including: * Translate mission needs into technical system requirements and design artifacts * Support capacity planning, including threshold vs objective growth models * Assist with OTA, RFP, and acquisition planning activities * Evaluate vendor solutions and participate in technical reviews * Collaborate across cybersecurity, network, infrastructure, and mission teams * Support development of architecture documentation and engineering packages Desired Skills * Master's degree or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in computer science, engineering, data science, or related field * Experience designing or supporting large-scale data environments (petabyte-scale) * Strong understanding of data center infrastructure and architecture * Experience with distributed data systems and high-performance computing (HPC) environments * Knowledge of data storage architectures (object storage, distributed systems) * Experience with data ingestion and large-scale analytics pipelines * Familiarity with DoD or Intelligence Community environments * Understanding of multi-classification or cross-domain architectures * Experience supporting technical requirements development and acquisition processes * Knowledge of data center and telecommunications standards (TIA-942, UFC guidance) Clearance Information SRC IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, THIS POSITION WILL REQUIRE U.S. CITIZENSHIP AS WELL AS, A U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITY CLEARANCE AT THE TOP SECRET LEVEL WITH TOP SECRET / SCI ELIGIBILITY Travel Requirements * Occasional travel may be required to support: * Government site visits * Engineering working groups * Technical design and review sessions * Travel is expected to be limited and mission-dependent About Us Scientific Research Corporation is an advanced information technology and engineering company that provides innovative products and services to government and private industry, as well as independent institutions. At the core of our capabilities is a seasoned team of highly skilled engineers and scientists with multidisciplinary backgrounds. This team is challenged daily to provide cutting edge technology solutions to our clients. SRC offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with a company match, life insurance, vacation and sick paid time off accruals with amounts increasing based on role and years of service, 11 paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, and a work environment that encourages excellence and more. For positions requiring a security clearance, selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. EEO Scientific Research Corporation is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state or local law. Scientific Research Corporation endeavors to make www.scires.com accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact for assistance. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.