Instructional Professor (open rank) in Data Science

Data Science Institute

Description

Position Description

The Data Science Institute invites applications for the position of Instructional Professor (open rank) in the area of Data Science. The selected candidate will be appointed as Assistant Instructional Professor, Associate Instructional Professor, or Instructional Professor, depending on qualifications. Appointments will be made in the Data Science Institute.

The appointment will be for a term of up to five years, renewable. This is a career-track position with potential progression, competitive salary, and benefits. This position is expected to begin on or around September 1, 2027. The terms and conditions of employment for this position are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the University.

In addition to teaching (an average teaching load is 2 courses per quarter in the fall, winter, and spring quarters), the candidate will also be expected to keep regular office hours, contribute to non-classroom instructional or service duties and ongoing professional development.

This position is benefits-eligible. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook ( ).

The University of Chicago is implementing an ambitious plan for research and education in Data Science and AI, including new undergraduate and graduate academic programs and new cross-disciplinary research programs.  The Data Science Institute (datascience.uchicago.edu ) is a collaboration among the  Department of Computer Science (cs.uchicago.edu ), the  Department of Statistics (stat.uchicago.edu ), and other units on campus. Topics of interest include safe and trustworthy AI, foundations and applications of artificial intelligence, world models, large language models, scientific AI, data ethics and privacy, data visualization, societal impacts of data and AI, data engineering, and scalable data and AI systems. The Data Science Institute focuses on fundamental advances at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, statistics, and computing in the context of real-world and domain-specific problems.  The Committee on Data Science (codas.uchicago.edu) is the home of data science education programs. The larger data science community at the University of Chicago includes the Committee on Computational and Applied Mathematics (cam.uchicago.edu ), the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC), the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Fermilab, and Argonne National Laboratory.

Qualifications

Required:

• By the time of appointment, a PhD in statistics, computer science, or some field of mathematics or science where data science concepts play an important role.
• At least one year of university-level teaching experience, either as an instructor of record or as a teaching assistant.

Preferred:

• Training, credentials, or experience in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in data science or machine learning.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted online through the University of Chicago’s Academic Jobs website: .

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2026 and will continue until all positions are filled.

The following materials are required:

• cover letter;
• curriculum vitae, including teaching experience and publications;
• syllabi of courses previously taught and/or designed by the candidate or sample syllabi of proposed courses
• teaching statement, which should include information about the candidate’s teaching and mentoring activities, teaching philosophy and goals; must include a list of courses the candidate is qualified to teach;
• three confidential letters of recommendation requested via Interfolio.
• Additional evidence of pedagogical accomplishment and promise, such as, but not limited to: a teaching portfolio, recent course evaluations, third-party observations of the applicant’s teaching, or other relevant assessments.

Salary Range:

Assistant Instructional Professor: $94,000 - $119,000; Associate Instructional Professor: $102,000 - $129,000; Full Instructional Professor: $110,000 - $140,000. This base pay range is for a nine-month academic appointment. Individuals may be eligible for additional summer work for additional pay.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination ( ).

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call or email with their request.

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.