Senior Researcher Jobs in Colorado
Senior Researcher jobs in Colorado are concentrated in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, where institutions like the University of Colorado, Lockheed Martin, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory maintain deep research programs across environmental science, aerospace systems, and biomedical fields. Demand is strongest for researchers with expertise in energy transition, defense technology, and public health, reflecting Colorado's role as a hub for federally funded labs and advanced industry. The market draws candidates from new senior-level appointments to principal researcher roles with staff oversight responsibilities. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 32+ Senior Researcher jobs
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Anduril's Senior Research Scientists excel at developing state-of-the art algorithms and software that solve scientific problems with real-world applications. Working in small innovative teams, our research scientists build solutions that make a difference. Our research endeavors don't end once we've written a journal or conference paper describing our technology; rather, our work is complete when our technology has been deployed in mission-critical systems and our customers within government and industry are successful. As science fiction writer Arthur Clarke wrote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Therefore, Anduril is seeking talented "magicians" to join in our common struggle of expanding the boundary of what's possible.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- Contribute to the direction of a talented small team with your expertise and ideas;
- Create mathematically principled solutions to some of the world's most challenging information science problems;
- Prototype state-of-the-art algorithms in an agile development environment;
- Implement high-performance software spanning the spectrum from tactical systems to web applications;
- Use high-fidelity modeling and simulation environments, innovative analysis tools, and flexible compute clusters to quantify the benefit of our technology;
- Engage with our customers, to ensure successful outcomes for their mission-critical needs;
- Help your colleagues and customers understand what you're doing and why.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Senior Research Scientist at Anduril should possess an M.S. or Ph.D. in Applied or Computational Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Controls and Dynamical Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Statistics and Probability, or a related field.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have a record of academic excellence, including demonstrated experience in most of the following areas:
- Applied Mathematics: differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and continuous or discrete optimization;
- Engineering: controls, estimation theory, digital signal processing, and machine learning;
- Scientific Computing: software design, algorithm implementation, and software analysis, testing, and optimization;
- Probability: statistics and random processes.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have effective written and verbal communication skills, with the demonstrated ability to convey salient details about advanced technology in a compelling manner to both experts and non-experts alike.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret SCI security clearance
We request transcripts as part of the early application process to understand your academic background and how your coursework supports the skills deemed critical for the role. Transcripts help us assess your technical and analytical abilities, complementing our interview process in which we also evaluate practical experience and cultural fit. If you choose not to share your transcripts, you will need to provide detailed information regarding your academic performance in relevant courses, including projects and coursework specifics, to ensure we evaluate your academic accomplishments properly. If you do provide academic transcripts, feel free to redact non-technical information (e.g., student ID, dates, non-technical coursework, etc.). Unofficial transcripts obtained online acceptable for this assessment.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Anduril's Senior Research Scientists excel at developing state-of-the art algorithms and software that solve scientific problems with real-world applications. Working in small innovative teams, our research scientists build solutions that make a difference. Our research endeavors don't end once we've written a journal or conference paper describing our technology; rather, our work is complete when our technology has been deployed in mission-critical systems and our customers within government and industry are successful. As science fiction writer Arthur Clarke wrote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Therefore, Anduril is seeking talented "magicians" to join in our common struggle of expanding the boundary of what's possible.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- Contribute to the direction of a talented small team with your expertise and ideas;
- Create mathematically principled solutions to some of the world's most challenging information science problems;
- Prototype state-of-the-art algorithms in an agile development environment;
- Implement high-performance software spanning the spectrum from tactical systems to web applications;
- Use high-fidelity modeling and simulation environments, innovative analysis tools, and flexible compute clusters to quantify the benefit of our technology;
- Engage with our customers, to ensure successful outcomes for their mission-critical needs;
- Help your colleagues and customers understand what you're doing and why.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Senior Research Scientist at Anduril should possess an M.S. or Ph.D. in Applied or Computational Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Controls and Dynamical Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Statistics and Probability, or a related field.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have a record of academic excellence, including demonstrated experience in most of the following areas:
- Applied Mathematics: differential equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and continuous or discrete optimization;
- Engineering: controls, estimation theory, digital signal processing, and machine learning;
- Scientific Computing: software design, algorithm implementation, and software analysis, testing, and optimization;
- Probability: statistics and random processes.
- A Senior Research Scientist should have effective written and verbal communication skills, with the demonstrated ability to convey salient details about advanced technology in a compelling manner to both experts and non-experts alike.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret SCI security clearance
We request transcripts as part of the early application process to understand your academic background and how your coursework supports the skills deemed critical for the role. Transcripts help us assess your technical and analytical abilities, complementing our interview process in which we also evaluate practical experience and cultural fit. If you choose not to share your transcripts, you will need to provide detailed information regarding your academic performance in relevant courses, including projects and coursework specifics, to ensure we evaluate your academic accomplishments properly. If you do provide academic transcripts, feel free to redact non-technical information (e.g., student ID, dates, non-technical coursework, etc.). Unofficial transcripts obtained online acceptable for this assessment.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
See All 32 Senior Researcher Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Senior Researcher JobsSenior Researcher Jobs by City in Colorado
Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Researcher Job Market in Colorado
A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- University of Colorado16
- Anduril2
- SARA2S
- Charles Schwab2
- Children's Hospital Colorado2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What Colorado Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior researcher jobs across Colorado.
- Doctoral degree in a relevant scientific or technical discipline required by most Colorado employers
- Five or more years of research experience with demonstrated project leadership in a specialized domain
- Record of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or funded grants in the field
- Proficiency with statistical analysis software such as R, Python, SAS, or MATLAB
- Experience collaborating with federal agencies, national laboratories, or government-funded research programs
- Strong written and oral communication skills for presenting findings to technical and non-technical audiences
Senior Researcher Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior researcher in Colorado?
Most senior researcher roles in Colorado require a doctoral degree in a relevant field, though some positions accept a master's degree combined with extensive research experience. Colorado does not issue a state license specifically for researchers, so advancement depends on building a record of independent research, publications, and grant-funded work. Roles at federally affiliated institutions such as national laboratories often require security clearance eligibility and demonstrated expertise in a recognized specialty area.
Which companies hire senior researchers in Colorado?
Employers hiring senior researchers in Colorado right now include University of Colorado, Anduril, and SARA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Colorado's concentration of national laboratories, aerospace contractors, and research universities means hiring activity tends to cluster around long-standing institutional partners with ongoing federal funding.
Which Colorado cities have the most senior researcher jobs?
Aurora, Denver, and Colorado Springs hold the most senior researcher openings in Colorado. Denver anchors the market through its mix of federal agencies, health systems, and private sector research firms, while Boulder draws significant activity from the University of Colorado and nearby national laboratory campuses, and Colorado Springs reflects steady demand from defense and aerospace contractors concentrated on the Front Range.
Are there remote senior researcher jobs in Colorado?
Yes, and more than many fields, since much of the work involves data analysis, writing, and computational modeling that translates well to distributed settings. About 50% of senior researcher openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the analytical nature of many positions. Literature review, qualitative coding, and grant writing roles tend to be the most consistently available in fully remote formats.
How can I get hired as a senior researcher in Colorado with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a postdoctoral fellowship or research associate position at one of Colorado's major institutions, including the University of Colorado system campuses or federally sponsored labs on the Front Range. Many candidates move into senior roles from adjacent positions such as research analyst, data scientist, or program evaluator. Building a portfolio of published work, even from graduate research, and securing at least one first-author publication substantially improves competitiveness for Colorado hiring panels that weight independent scholarly contribution heavily.
Where can I find and apply to senior researcher jobs in Colorado?
You can find and apply to senior researcher jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the listings to identify roles that fit your background, experience level, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 32 Senior Researcher Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Senior Researcher Jobs