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 seeking Postdoctoral Appointee candidates with a strong publication record or relevant experience to join Sandia's quantum computing theory group and engage in world-leading research in quantum information science. Our team focuses on modeling, characterization, calibration, benchmarking, and simulation of quantum computing hardware, as well as developing and characterizing algorithms and applications for quantum information processors, along with fault-tolerant quantum architectures and quantum error correction.
As part of Sandia's broader Quantum Information Science (QIS) program, you will have opportunities to collaborate with researchers across the industry. Postdocs in our group work at the forefront of practical and theoretical quantum computing research, publish widely, and have the freedom to identify compelling research problems, take leadership, and solve them.
On any given day, you may:
Work with a team developing new methods to assess, model, and improve the performance of quantum computers and/or quantum algorithms, quantum architectures and quantum error correction.
Interact and collaborate with a diverse set of experimentalists and other theorists at Sandia, academic institutions, other national labs, and private companies;
Work with theorists and experimentalists from the Quantum New Mexico Institute (QNM-I), the University of New Mexico (UNM), or the Quantum Demonstration Facility (QDF);
Take ownership of technical projects, publish outstanding new developments in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and present your work at conferences.
Sandia's quantum computing program is committed to maintaining a culture compatible with a broad group of people and perspectives. In support of this vision, we actively recruit applicants from diverse backgrounds and foster an inclusive community.
Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories
*The successful applicants may have the option to work onsite in Albuquerque or Livermore and/or remotely.
Qualifications We Require:
A PhD in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related science or engineering field
PhD must be conferred within five years prior to employment.
Record of research as demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals, competitive conference proceedings, or high-impact program deliverables.
Qualifications We Desire:
Demonstrated research experience in quantum computation and information science, including quantum algorithms, characterization of quantum hardware, design and modeling of qubits, quantum error correction, fault-tolerant quantum architectures, etc.;
Experience using quantum computing testbeds and/or collaboration with experimental efforts developing quantum technologies;
Demonstrated experience developing or analyzing the performance of quantum architectures and quantum algorithms for fault-tolerant quantum computing;
Proficiency in scientific programming, such as developing and running complex science and engineering codes on massively parallel computing clusters;
Interest in impacting applications and customers in support of DOE missions.
About Our Team:
The Quantum Performance Laboratory (QPL), Quantum Algorithms and Applications Collaboratory (QuAAC), and Quantum Architecture Group (Q-ARCH) are multidisciplinary research and development groups within Sandia National Laboratories.
The QPL develops and deploys cutting-edge techniques for assessing and improving the performance of quantum computing hardware, serving the needs of the U.S. government, industry, and academia. It also works closely with a wide range of partners in industry and academia to develop new performance assessment tools and apply them to newly developed quantum computing platforms.
The QuAAC works on all aspects of quantum algorithms, including the design and analysis of new algorithms, establishing conditions for quantum advantage, and resource estimates for problems in science and engineering. It also collaborates broadly with scientists in academia, industry, and other national labs.
The Q-ARCH works to advance the state-of-the-art in the analysis and design of fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) across quantum hardware modalities, aiming to bridge the gap between quantum hardware and quantum applications. This work includes, but is not limited to, novel FTQC primitives, realistic modeling of QEC at scale, photonic QEC, and software tools for analyzing FT architectures.
All three groups are geographically dispersed, but maintain a strong culture of collaboration and are committed to advancing the field of quantum computing.
The QPL, QuAAC, and Q-ARCH teams publish their research in scientific journals including Nature, Nature Physics, Nature Communications, Physical Review X, PRX Quantum, and Physical Review Letters.
Posting Duration:
This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
Security Clearance:
This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.
Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment. Under federal law, citizens and agents of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation are generally prohibited from accessing Sandia National Laboratories. Accordingly, such individuals will not be considered for employment unless they are also a citizen of the United States.
If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. 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.
Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract. All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.
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.
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Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; set your own state tax rate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
How to prepare and behave
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The job is in Albuquerque, NM. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.
How Albuquerque compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Albuquerque is #1 by population, #4 for college degrees (#1 = most), #33 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #8 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Bernalillo County, is #4 of 33 counties for average pay ($63,493).
The place in numbers
Albuquerque has 562,218 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 26.5% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 187 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,002 people per square mile. The median age is 38.8, about the same as the state median (38.8 against 39.4).
Housing
The median gross rent is $1,145 a month (rent plus utilities), 7% above the state median ($1,145 against $1,067). Over a year that is 20.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $291,500, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($68,317). 61.8% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (61.8% against 70.0%).
Work and pay
The Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area has 404,700 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,060 a year, 6% below the national median ($48,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (54,860 jobs, median $45,850); food preparation and serving related (38,230 jobs, median $30,990); sales and related (31,990 jobs, median $35,960). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (2.0 times) and construction and extraction (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are architecture and engineering ($131,720) and management ($108,920). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Bernalillo County was 4.6%. 63.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Bernalillo County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Getting around
Among workers, 70.7% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 2.0% walk, 14.9% work from home. 7.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 42% below the state average (7.5% against 12.8%).
People and education
39.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% above the state share (39.2% against 31.0%). 10.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 13% above the state share (10.6% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 13% below the state rate (15.5% against 17.8%).
Climate
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.6°C). About 258 mm (10 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (51 mm) and Mar the driest (11 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Nearby cities to compare
Closest cities in this guide: North Valley (5 miles, rent 22% lower); South Valley (7 miles, rent 17% lower); Corrales (9 miles, similar rent); Rio Rancho (13 miles, rent 32% higher). Rent differences are against Albuquerque; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
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Places within 50 miles (straight line) of Albuquerque, NM that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.
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What is the Postdoctoral Appointee - Quantum Computer Science job at Sandia National Laboratories?
A mid level role in technology (data, analytics and ai) listed yesterday. The full description is on this page and on The Muse.
Where is this job?
Albuquerque, NM.
How do I apply?
Use the "View this job and apply on The Muse" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.
How much does it pay?
The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.
What is the cost of living there?
Median rent in Albuquerque is $1,145 a month and median household income $68,317 (ACS 2020–2024).
How old is this listing?
It was posted on 2026-11-07 (yesterday). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.
Are there similar jobs?
Yes: browse data, analytics and ai jobs in New Mexico.
Sources and terms
Job data: The Muse public API (listing dated 2026-11-07). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.
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