Research Programmer II- Machine Learning & Computational Neuroscience, Kennedy Lab

Research Programmer II – Machine Learning & Computational Neuroscience, Kennedy Lab

Join our transformative team at Scripps Research to apply advanced machine learning and computational neuroscience methods to understand behavior in naturalistic settings.

Position Summary

The Kennedy laboratory develops computational methods to track, quantify, and forecast behavior and relate it to recorded neural activity. We seek motivated postbaccalaureates interested in hands‑on research, contributing to scientific papers, and leading independent projects on existing datasets from collaborators across the U.S. This is an ideal position for those building their scientific CV ahead of graduate programs or those looking for a longer‑term position contributing to original research and model development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software for data processing, model training, and simulation.
• Build, train, and evaluate deep neural networks for supervised, unsupervised, or reinforcement learning problems.
• Collaborate with collaborators to analyze behavior and neural data.
• Lead independent research projects on existing datasets.
• Participate in lab meetings, journal clubs, and hackathons.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Math, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.
• Minimum two years experience in software application development or research programming.
• Experience with software development in Python.
• Experience building and training deep neural networks for supervised, unsupervised, or reinforcement learning problems.
• Demonstrated ability to apply fundamentals of software application development.
• Experience with version control, including git and GitHub.

Preferred Skillset

• Experience with sequence/time series data, control/reinforcement learning problems and environments, and time series forecasting.
• Familiarity with topics in motor control, robotics, and neuroscience.
• Experience developing scalable system architectures that adhere to good software engineering principles.
• Ability to tackle large, open‑ended research questions independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness to be an active participant in a computational lab environment, including taking part in lab meetings, journal clubs, and hackathons.
• Experience working within a diverse, interdisciplinary team.
• Experience contributing to open source software projects.

Location

La Jolla, California.

Physical Requirements

This position works in an office environment.

Compensation

Annual salary range: $68,480 to $80,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

• Retirement plans with employer contribution.
• Health and welfare plans, including three medical plan options, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, and EAP.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical/Dependent Care).
• Remote/Hybrid/Flexible work schedules.
• Competitive vacation and sick leave policies.
• On‑site counseling center with confidential counseling services.
• On‑site parking.

EEO Statement

The Scripps Research Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote diversity of thought, culture, and background in the fields of science. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.