Staff
Director, Data & Democracy Research Initiative
The Data & Democracy Research Initiative (DDRI), led by Professor Moon Duchin, brings mathematical and computational tools to the study of democracy. The Director of the Data & Democracy Research Initiative will report to Professor Duchin, with a dotted-line reporting to the DSI Senior Director of Research Programs & Strategy. The Director is a substantive intellectual partner to the PI and the public face of the lab’s external engagement. The role combines active research participation in structural democracy — the study of systems and mechanisms of democratic representation — with primary responsibility for the lab’s partnerships, fundraising, and public communications. The Director will work at the intersection of math, law, policy, and open-source software, translating academic research into policy recommendations and implementation with governmental, legal, and civic partners.
The Director will serve as a thought partner for research initiative leadership, combine administrative oversight with active fundraising and partnership management, supervise other administrative staff, and ensure smooth operations for DDRI. DDRI seeks a dynamic, broad, and self-directed individual who can build lasting relationships with diverse external stakeholders and move fluidly.
Program Manager, AI for Weather
The University of Chicago’s Human-Centered Weather Forecasting (HCWF) initiative and AI for Climate Initiative (AICE) seek a Program Manager to manage the day-to-day execution and strategic coordination of the group’s portfolio of research and industry-facing programs. This portfolio currently includes engagements with foundations and industry leaders, constituting an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional effort focused on AI weather and sub-seasonal-to-seasonal forecasting for the tropics. This role will work closely with faculty leads and reports to the Director of AI for Weather to ensure programs are delivered on time, on budget, and in a manner that supports the group’s scientific and policy goals. Specifically, the Program Manager serves as the primary program-management point of contact across the group’s active initiatives.
Research Software Engineering Manager
The Research Software Engineering Manager will lead our internal engineering team across our research initiatives. The successful candidate will both understand how to establish and nurture software development best practices and is also excited by the opportunity to build and grow a team in a dynamic academic environment. They will have significant technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: cloud computing, database design, web-based applications or machine learning. The engineering manager will have significant decision making capability on both which projects are selected to be worked on and how those projects are executed.
Working closely with the Director of Data Science & Engineering and the Director of Data Science Clinic, this position will also evaluate external proposals on their technical merit, costs and value. This position’s responsibilities are also externally facing and will involve direct collaboration with researchers, students, post docs, and our industry and social impact partners.
Associate Director – AI for Weather
The Data Science Institute’s AI for Climate (AICE) research initiative seeks an Associate Director to support and advance the operational, programmatic, and people-management functions of the initiative. Reporting to the Director of AI for Weather, the Associate Director serves as a key operational leader responsible for the day-to-day execution of the initiative’s research and administrative programs, team coordination, stakeholder engagement, and budget oversight. This role works closely with the Director to translate initiative-level strategy into concrete program plans and ensures that researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and administrative staff are well-supported in their work. The Associate Director exercises significant independent judgment and serves as a senior point of continuity for the initiative in the Director’s absence. The role oversees program strategy, stakeholder engagement, and cross-institutional convening for one or more lead project efforts, while overseeing communications and providing higher-level continuity across the broader HCWF/AICE portfolio.
Director of Financial Administration and Operations
The Data Science Institute (DSI) is seeking a talented and experienced Director of Financial Administration and Operations to provide strategic financial leadership and analysis to support the programs and initiatives of the institute and oversee operations. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Director of Financial Administration and Operations oversees all department wide financial operations and DSI facilities. This includes budgeting, financial planning and reporting, procurement, revenue generation, and ensures effective and efficient departmental operations and to advance DSI priorities. This role collaborates closely with DSI leadership and operational teams to ensure effective financial management and decision-making.
Director of Communications
The Director of Communications leads efforts to highlight groundbreaking research, partnerships, and educational programs in data science and AI, expanding the visibility of the Data Science Institute (DSI) and continuing to develop the brand and reputation of the Institute. Reporting to the Senior Director of Partnerships and Chief of Staff, the Director of Communications oversees the development and optimization of internal and external communication mechanisms and infrastructure within DSI to improve capabilities and brand alignment across a variety of programs, events, initiatives, and teams. Executes a strategic plan that incorporates all DSI programming and ensures goals align across distinct areas.
Evaluation and Research Scientist
The Evaluation and Research Scientist will lead and support program evaluation and research projects focused on kindergarten–adult STEM education, with an emphasis on high school and postsecondary data science and AI education. The Evaluation and Research Scientist will report to the Director of Outlier Research and Evaluation and will work collaboratively with senior researchers, DSI colleagues, funders, and partner organizations. This role involves managing multiple stages of the research and evaluation process, including project design, literature reviews, instrument development, data collection and management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, IRB compliance, and the preparation of reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other written deliverables. The Evaluation and Research Scientist will also contribute to funding strategy and proposal development, including identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting research and evaluation plans, developing scopes of work, and preparing funder-facing materials for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.
Research Software Engineer
The Research Software Engineer (RSE) will develop software to support DSI’s research priorities and specific initiatives related to data science for social good including resilient food systems, climate, and human rights. The RSE will collaborate with the software team and interdisciplinary research groups across the University of Chicago to develop new software products and build robust, scalable solutions for computational research and public impact projects. This role involves designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software, with an emphasis on high-quality, reusable code. The ideal candidate will have experience working with substantial existing codebases, strong problem-solving skills, and a keen interest in data-driven applications, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Systems Administrator 3
The Data Science Institute (DSI) Tech staff is responsible for the design, operation, and security of all computing infrastructure within the Data Science Institute, including research computing systems, workstations, servers, storage, networking, and audiovisual environments. The Systems Administrator 3 is a mid-level systems professional who operates with minimal supervision and serves as a core technical contributor to the Institute’s IT operations.
This role is responsible for independently administering, maintaining, and improving DSI’s full IT environment, with a strong focus on high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. The Systems Administrator 3 collaborates closely with senior technical staff, faculty, researchers, and external partners, and is expected to take ownership of complex systems, lead projects, and contribute to architectural decisions. The Systems Administrator 3 plays a key role in ensuring system reliability, performance, security, and scalability across the Institute’s computing resources.
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 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.