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Los Alamos National Laboratory Interview Questions

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What are the logistic and softmax functions? What is the difference between the two?

What makes them useful for use in logistic regression?

In logistic regression, how is the predicted class determined based on the logistic function?

In logistic regression, how is the predicted class determined based on the logistic function?

Softmax vs Logistic II

What is the key characteristic of the logistic function that makes it useful for mapping continuous values to a probability?

What is the key characteristic of the logistic function that makes it useful for mapping continuous values to a probability?

Softmax vs Logistic I

What are the logistic and softmax functions? What is the difference between the two?

Softmax vs Logistic

Suppose there exists a new airline named Jetco that flies domestically across North America. Jetco recently had a study commissioned that tested the boarding time of every airline, and it came out that Jetco had the fastest average boarding times of any airline.

What factors could have biased this result, and what would you look into?

What could potentially bias the average boarding time in favor of an airline that only flies domestically?

What could potentially bias the average boarding time in favor of an airline that only flies domestically?

Boarding Times Bias

A new airline came out as the fastest average boarding times compared to other airlines.  What factors could have biased this result and what would you look into?

Let’s say that your company is running a standard control and variant AB test on a feature to increase conversion rates on the landing page. The PM checks the results and finds a .04 p-value.

How would you assess the validity of the result?

Experiment Validity

Los Alamos National Laboratory Salaries by Position

What You Will Do This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2 or 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level. Scientist 2 $101,700 - $168,200 The candidate will contribute to one or more of the team's thrusts (fundamental research, tool prototyping, or analysis), while also supporting the infrastructure and tool-building needs of the team. The successful candidate will have the ability to develop requirements and work collaboratively with service providers at the laboratory to implement solutions. This role requires a results-oriented attitude and the willingness to support multiple projects with tight deadlines. The team is looking for an engineer with flexible research interests who is passionate about contributing to a growing team in a rapidly evolving mission space. Scientist 3 $122,300 - $206,300 In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level the candidate will be expected to develop concepts, theories, methods, techniques and approaches to address specialized problems, expanding on existing efforts or establishing novel research directions. The candidate will also be expected to Influence organizational, project, and program strategies and directions. A Scientist 3 will receive nominal supervision except on the most complex problems and situations and will coordinate with junior staff and peers. What You Need Minimum Job Requirements: Significant software development experience in multiple modern languages. Knowledge of advanced Unix system administration. Knowledge of containerized application deployment, e.g. in Kubernetes. Knowledge of deep learning fundamentals and experience with machine learning research. Experience developing machine learning models in Python. Experience setting up and maintaining MLOps (or DevOps) workflows and systems. Ability to learn general purpose, web, and scientific programming environments. Ability to obtain a DOE Q/SCI clearance. Additional Job Requirements for Scientist 3: Experience leading agile research software development projects. Experience with advanced machine learning topics (computer vision, natural language processing, scientific machine learning, etc.) Ability to translate research papers into efficient software implementations. Mastery of the mathematical underpinnings of machine learning (e.g. statistics, linear algebra). Ability to accelerate prototype software and efficiently implement complex algorithms. Experience administering cloud computing environments. Excellent writing and presentation skills, as demonstrated by published works or invited talks. Contributions to large proprietary or open-source software projects. Proven track record of project leadership and/or sponsor relationship building. Scientist 2 Education/Experience: Position requires a Bachelor' degree in a STEM field from an accredited college and university and 4 years of related experience, typically with post-doctoral research experience at a university or national lab or equivalent experience directly related to the occupation. Scientist 3 Education/Experience: Position requires a Master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university and 6 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of cyber security techniques, including application of machine learning to cyber security. Knowledge of verification techniques and formal methods for neural networks. Published software, papers, tutorials, blog posts, etc demonstrating technical leadership experience. Active Q and TS/SCI clearances. Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management. Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year. Note to Applicants: Please include a cover letter addressing how you meet the minimum job requirements, and any desired qualifications. Where You Will Work Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes: PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network Dental and vision insurance Free basic life and disability insurance Paid childbirth and parental leave Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually) Learning opportunities and tuition assistance Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays) Onsite gyms and wellness programs Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius) Additional Details Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2 (https://directives.nnsa.doe.gov/supplemental-directive/sd-0206-0002) . Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A. Clearance: Q/SCI (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad. *Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 (https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0472.2-BOrder-chg1-pgchg) for additional information. New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer. Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status. Term position: Regular-status Laboratory employees applying for term-status positions may retain regular status with approval of the cognizant Principle Associate Director. Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 (https://int.lanl.gov/policy/documents/P701.pdf) for applicant eligibility requirements. Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call 1-505-664-6947, option 2.

What You Will Do

This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2 or 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

Be part of an amazing integrated data management team here at the nation's Plutonium Center of Excellence that supports our Nation's nuclear deterrent. As a data engineer, you will be responsible for collecting, managing, and converting raw data into useful information that can be interpreted and consumed by engineers and managers for process improvement and decision making. You will be required to work in classified and unclassified environment with well-defined protocols for data security. Your work will directly support the execution of manufacturing of weapons components, the surveillance of weapon components and materials in the nuclear stockpile, and other national security missions.

R&D Engineer 2 ($96,100-159,000)

As an R&D Engineer 2, you will be expected to have demonstrated knowledge of data management with demonstrated knowledge of and experience in planning, designing, developing, and maintaining data architectures while keeping them aligned with multiple production management requirements. You will be expected to work with members from various process teams in a collaborative manner to collect data, make specific suggestions to collect additional data, store data using data quality, configuration, and security protocols, analyze data, develop graphics and reports, and disseminate information across classified and unclassified networks. You will be encouraged to be a champion of change and make presentations to the team and the upper management at various points. Ability to work in a team environment is a must as you will be expected to work with various process teams whose members would have varied levels of experience and expertise with the subject matter. Prior knowledge/certification in different aspects of data management is highly desirable.

Responsibilities include:

Working closely with the team leads to solve statistical business problems.
Consulting with internal teams and external clients to determine their ongoing business needs, design and implement data-centric solutions.
Actively working to identify improvements to internal processes, to improve conversions, revenue, ROI (or other relevant metrics).
Collecting and managing data, including exploratory data analysis.
Identifying trends and patterns in complex datasets.
Quality assurance and data cleansing, using MS Excel, Alteryx, or similar platforms.
Learning your domain (e.g., defense programs; science, technology and engineering programs) to better understand the business and to help make recommendations.
Actively working with customers/stakeholders to gather data requirements to develop key metrics and KPI database and dashboard.
Producing dashboards, including graphs, tables, and other visualizations.
Creating presentation decks using PowerPoint (or similar).
Providing written reports of your findings.

R&D Engineer 3 ($115,500-$194,900)

In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level as an R&D Engineer 3, you will be expected to be able to perform all duties of R&D Engineer 2.

Additionally, the R&D Industrial Engineer level 3 develops and/or contributes ideas for new proposals and business development opportunities, particularly in terms of providing data analytics and dashboard display options. Leads development of technical section of small to moderate proposals and actively mentors, coaches, and trains junior staff. You will be expected to provide solutions to complex data management challenges involving classified data and their transfer in accordance with established LANL protocols. A thorough knowledge of and experience in data engineering and data analytics.

Prior experience with planning and implementing data architecture, database development and management, data analysis, and information dissemination using advanced graphics and reporting are highly desirable. You will be expected to be the champion of the changes your data analysts recommend and to work with process teams and upper management to plan, schedule, and oversee the implementation of recommended changes. Prior industry experience is also highly desirable, particularly in an environment where safety and regulatory compliance are of paramount importance.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

Engineering Expertise:

Demonstrated knowledge and proven experience in engineering science and technology, including applying data management principles to the improvement and production of specialized manufacturing and manufacturing processes.

Project Management:

Demonstrated experience designing, planning, and executing manufacturing and characterization projects and strong experience in solution development and implementation, particularly in the field of data engineering and management. Experience leading cross-functional projects.

Data Management:

Demonstrated ability in collection, storage, transfer, analysis, and reporting of data and information. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with multiple industry-standard databases and in data analytics. Demonstrated experience in working with multiple types of data to support multiple customers.

Communication Skills:

Effective communication skills, both orally and in writing with diverse employees and organizations at all levels. Having strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to work and influence cross- functionally.

Additional Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 3:

In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:

Leads development of technical section of small to moderate proposals and actively mentors, coaches, and trains junior staff.
Leads teams and facilitates meetings to drive solutions for process improvement projects, or other projects identified by various organizations operating in the nuclear facility.
Leads technical decision-making and direction at the project, business unit, or organizational level.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience with ETL and/or ELT operations using systems such as Alteryx is highly desirable, or the ability to learn quickly.
Experience with advanced SQL programming.
Experience working with relational database systems (e.g., MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, etc.)
Carrying out statistical analysis (ANOVA, hypothesis testing, etc.) to solve business and production process problems using tools such as JMP, Minitab, R, Python, etc.
Experience data warehousing.
Experience with data architecture.
Professional certification in data engineering is desirable.

Education/Experience at lower level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in Engineering or Computer Science from an ABET accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Education/Experience at higher level: Position requires a Master's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 6 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. At this level a Ph.D. may be preferred

Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation):

Work Environment:

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 2 years.

Note to Applicants:

For full consideration, submit a comprehensive resume reflective of your relevant experience to the job requirements and desired skills stated above.

Where You Will Work

Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:

PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
Dental and vision insurance
Free basic life and disability insurance
Paid childbirth and parental leave
Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
Onsite gyms and wellness programs
Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)

Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.

Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

HRP: This position is subject to the requirements of the DOE Human Reliability Program as specified in 10 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 712,

712.11. These requirements include on going drug and alcohol testing, as well as periodic medical and psychological evaluations.

LANL has a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or preference, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call 1-505-665-4444 option 1.
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Los Alamos National Laboratory Interview Questions

Los Alamos National Laboratory Interview Guides

Los Alamos National Laboratory Interview Questions

Los Alamos National Laboratory Salaries by Position

Los Alamos National Laboratory Opening Jobs