Data Scientist

Seeking a Data Scientist for a prominent research institution to lead the development and management of a sophisticated data ecosystem for a high-profile materials science project. This initiative involves transforming advanced laboratory reactors and synthesis systems into an autonomous, AI-driven environment.

In this role, you will be responsible for the central data infrastructure that handles a wide range of inputs, including reactor time-series data, robotics telemetry, and high-resolution imaging such as SEM, TEM, and AFM. The position blends data engineering with advanced analysis, focusing on building an S3-compatible storage foundation and developing ingestion pipelines for live scientific instruments and robot controllers.

Key responsibilities include implementing SQL and vector-search capabilities, developing embedding pipelines for images and spectra, and building AI agents that allow researchers to interact with data using natural language. You will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across robotics, AI, and information security to ensure data is secure, accessible, and well-organized.

This is a remote position within the United States, operating on Central Standard Time. While the project focuses on materials science, no prior background in chemistry or physics is required. The ideal candidate will be a pragmatic software or data engineer with a strong focus on system reliability and the ability to translate scientific requirements into functional technical tools.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• Minimum of three years of professional experience in data engineering or software development
• Strong programming skills with a focus on production quality code
• Proficiency in SQL and relational data modeling
• Experience with object storage solutions like S3, Ceph, or MinIO
• Knowledge of Linux, containers such as Docker or Kubernetes, and cloud platforms like AWS or Azure
• Familiarity with PyTorch, vector databases, and retrieval augmented generation applications
• Experience connecting software to physical devices or instruments via network protocols

Preferred Skills

• Five or more years of experience building and maintaining large scale data systems
• Background in scientific laboratory automation or IoT telemetry
• Experience managing data at a 100 TB plus scale
• Familiarity with GPU accelerated similarity search tools like FAISS or Milvus
• Experience in research environments or national laboratories

The position offers a salary of up to 105,000 dollars annually. This is a one year term limited role with benefits, and extensions are possible depending on project funding and performance.