Senior Research Analyst

Department
PSD Data Science: AI Weather Research Staff

About the Department
The Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago was established to support the development of emerging data science efforts across the University. The staff in the Data Science Institute supports the University's community of scholars, their shared ideals, and the core values that make the University a singular intellectual destination. Together with the University's deans and department chairs, the Data Science Institute provides the opportunities, infrastructure, and resources that encourage our faculty and other scholars to pursue their finest work.

Job Summary
The AI for Climate Initiative, a joint initiative of the Data Science Institute and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, is seeking a Senior Research Analyst to lead and support the development, evaluation, and deployment of AI-based weather and climate models. The Senior Analyst will report to Professor Pedram Hassanzadeh, Faculty Director of AI for Climate. This role is integral to the research on training, running, and evaluating AI models; generating and analyzing datasets for model training and evaluation; and assessing model performance using process-level diagnostics to ensure predictions are physically consistent and representative of atmospheric processes.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, self-motivated researcher with expertise in climate and weather science, as well as in the application of AI to weather and climate models. The successful candidate should be capable of leading research projects with moderate guidance, working across teams to enhance workflows from data preparation to final model outputs, contributing to collaborative research efforts, and translating and communicating technical developments to multiple audiences.

Responsibilities

• Train and run AI weather and climate models.
• Evaluate AI weather and climate models using process-level diagnostics to assess model performance and physical consistency.
• Create and analyze datasets for training and evaluation of AI weather and climate models.
• Document and communicate research results, and contribute to publications and other research outputs, including reports, manuscripts, and conference presentations, to present results at conferences and with partners.
• Apply research principles and relevant subject matter knowledge to administer a research project.
• With a moderate level of direction, manage lab and/or research-related duties and tasks.
• Help develop, design, and conduct research projects according to plan.
• Supports data collection and analytical needs of research projects. Conduct literature reviews and help write reports and manuscripts. Ensure project compliance with different policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.
• Take responsibility for the following laboratory duties: recognizing abnormal results and varying conditions or procedures to correct problems; setting up and performing experiments; analyzing the meaning, significance, causes, and effects of the subject.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master's in Atmospheric Science, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, or a related discipline.

Experience:

• Experience developing AI-based weather and climate forecasting models.
• Experience with model inference optimization and deployment in production or research environments.
• Experience in working with large, high-dimensional model output to evaluate model behavior and evaluate physics consistency.
• Experience in analyzing and visualizing large datasets, and interpreting model outputs.
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) and working with big data.
• Experience contributing to research publications or technical reports.
• Experience collaborating in interdisciplinary or research-focused teams.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary teams across institutions or domains.
• Experience contributing to scientific publications or technical reports.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and storage systems.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Familiarity and competency with programming languages, including Python and R.
• Solid foundation in statistics, machine learning, and mathematics for model evaluation and interpretation in weather forecasting and climate engineering.
• Knowledge of machine learning model lifecycle, including training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Understanding of Unix-like environments, especially command-line interfaces.
• Proficiency with HPC job management software, including SLURM and PBS.
• Strong understanding of cloud computing platforms and infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.)
• Familiarity with data version control and collaboration tools such as Git/GitHub.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Competency using LaTeX for scientific documentation, reports, and presentations.

Working Conditions

• This position is eligible for a partial remote work arrangement.
• The role may involve extended time working at a computer and engagement with high-performance computing systems.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter describing interest and qualifications (required)
• List of three professional references (preferred)

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

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
Research

Role Impact
Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5

Drug Test Required
No

Health Screen Required
No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No

Pay Rate Type
Salary

FLSA Status
Exempt

Pay Range
$72,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible
Yes
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.

Posting 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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