Senior Computational Research Consultant

Department: Kellogg Ctr for Sci & Innov
Salary/Grade: ITS/80

Job Summary:

The Center for Science of Science and Innovation (CSSI), based at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, is a leading interdisciplinary research hub that explores the science of science, innovation, computational social science, and network science. CSSI brings together world-class faculty, postdocs, PhD students, and staff in a fast-paced, high-impact environment, and its work regularly appears in top-tier journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS. You will be part of a dynamic, goal-driven team-a collaborative culture that values intellectual curiosity, technical rigor, and real-world relevance.

As a Senior Computational Research (SCRC), you will draw on a broad set of technological, creative, and problem-solving skills in order to accelerate and facilitate ambitious academic research at the center. In this role, you will work closely with researchers, understand their research challenges, and then design and implement creative solutions that help them move beyond major obstacles in their research work. You will recommend techniques for the efficient processing and analysis of large-scale research datasets. You will organize data collection and curation efforts and create documentation needed to publish this data according to FAIR principles. You will ensure data storage and handling processes comply with relevant data management plans and federal security protocols, and you will play an important role educating the team on best practices for data security and responsible data stewardship.

Expect to work with bright minds on challenging problems, continually evaluate emerging technologies, and apply new techniques to solve research problems. As these technologies and research questions evolve, so will your role.

*Note: Not all aspects of the job are covered by this job description.

Specific Responsibilities:

Support Faculty and Student Research

• Listen critically and effectively in order to understand our faculty's research needs.
• Conceive, design, prototype, and implement innovative solutions around the collection, transformation, analysis, and visualization of social science research data.
• Draft data management plans that adhere to university and federal data governance policies, and create data handling procedures for the team that comply with these plans.

Community Development and Training

• Encourage our researchers to adopt innovative new technological tools and methods by developing training materials, guides, and other resources.
• Provide training and consulting for conducting statistical analyses using standard software and tools. * Create and update documentation on resources, tools and data management practices.
• May lead training sessions on topics that promote responsible data stewardship.
• May mentor and coach junior colleagues and Research Fellows, as needed.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, SKILLS)

• Advanced degree (M.A. or M.S. minimum, Ph.D preferred) with a research component in any quantitative field.
• At least 4 years experience in roles that require working with data, performing academic research, and/or writing code.
• 3-5 years experience using at least two of these standard statistical software packages: Python, R, C/C++, Julia.
• 1-2 years experience with Unix/Linux, including scripting.
• Strong understanding of applied statistics methods, particularly as they apply to computational social sciences, especially machine learning and deep learning techniques.
• Ability to organize and document datasets intelligently, and to examine data critically for potential errors or inconsistencies.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively in an environment with unpredictable work-flows.
• Outstanding communication skills with both technical and non-technical clients.
• Commitment to continual learning and development.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, SKILLS)

• Working familiarity with commonly used machine learning and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or keras.
• Experience using natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to extract information from poorly structured data sources.
• Working familiarity with version control tools such as git and containerization methods such as Docker or Singularity.
• Experience implementing open-source and closed-source large language models in GPU environments. Able to work efficiently with large datasets using tools such as BigQuery, parquet, or similar
• Hands-on experience with parallel computing tools such as MPI or similar.

Target hiring range for this position will be $111,441 - $139,264 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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