Principal Investigator, Computational Science

The Center for Data Science and AI at RTI International, one of the nation's largest independent, nonprofit scientific research organizations, is seeking an emerging Principal Investigator focused on computational science, with broad skills and experience in leading or co-leading externally funded projects that marry data science methodologies (e.g., AI/machine learning, generative AI, natural language processing) to subject matter expertise in research domains such as health, education, or climate. The emerging PI in Computational Science will also have a demonstrated interest in leading projects that focus on modernizing data ecosystems and addressing responsible use of AI, as well as providing thought leadership and mentoring to the Center.

RTI's mission is to improve the human condition, and our Center's mission is to apply data science for social good. In leading federally funded work through grant and contract proposals, the successful candidate will work within a growing team of data scientists, software and data engineers, and visual designers collaborating with subject matter experts across RTI, solving important national problems, improving our local communities, and transforming research. The PI will also participate in long-range direction for research programs and strategy within the Center.

• Lead projects as Principal Investigator or co-PI for externally funded grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts--projects that employ data science approaches, techniques, and methods to solve important national problems and address research questions
• Lead or co-lead business and proposal development activities for grant, cooperative agreement, and contract opportunities, largely from the federal government sector.
• Provide leadership in strategic planning and business development: vetting business and proposal opportunities, planning and writing proposals, participating in solutioning, participating in oral presentations to clients, consulting with internal collaborators and external clients, and designing projects and end-to-end solutions based on client needs and problems to be solved
• Oversee fiscal aspects of projects; ensure an adequate and appropriate staff mix for all project activities
• Monitor overall process and quality of studies and/or activities.
• Communicate results through presentations and reports for clients and internal staff, leading development of manuscripts for refereed journals, presentations for professional conferences, and through contributions to data science tools, web applications and open source projects
• Mentor mid- and junior-level staff in technical methods, scientific stature, project leadership, professional development, business development, and consulting

• Doctorate and 8 years of relevant experience (with at least some of those years at the intersection of data science and one of these: health, education, climate, data modernization, and/or Responsible AI)
• Subject matter expertise in at least one of these, as well as their intersection: health, education, climate, data modernization, and/or Responsible AI (ethics, bias, equity, etc).
• Proven track record of successfully leading or co-leading externally funded research projects at the intersection of data science and health, education, climate, data modernization, and/or Responsible AI
• Experience in developing business and working with clients that fund research in public health, education, climate, data modernization, and/or ethics in AI, including federal agencies and/or private foundations.
• Experience leading or co-leading multidisciplinary teams, including senior, mid-level and early career data scientists, software developers, and data visualization experts.
• Excellent skills in negotiation, compromise, and building consensus within and between groups.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, including a history of collaborative projects and oral and written communication as evidenced by publications, conference presentations, blog posts, etc.
• A record of scientific stature in presentation and publication of research in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, blog posts, and other venues.
• Significant experience working in a team environment with technical and non-technical team members
• Demonstrable record of leadership in developing and sustaining a climate that fosters growth in research funding, staff capabilities, and scientific excellence and reputation.
• Experience in and commitment to modern open-source software ecosystems used in data science, preferably Python
• Experience in project settings with data science and advanced analytics: AI, machine learning, text analytics/NLP, machine learning engineering, causal inference, and/or microsimulation
• To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require now, or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Experience accessing, extracting, integrating, creating data pipelines, and analyzing data from a wide variety of sources (e.g., relational databases, unstructured data, sensor data, wearables data, social media data, image and video data, streaming data)
• An analytical mindset for solving problems
• Experience using git for shared version control and collaboration
• Experience in cloud computing environments
• Experience with user-centered design

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For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.