Computational Scientist-GIS
The University of Chicago

Job Info

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Department

Provost Research Computing Center

About the Department

The University of Chicago Research Computing Center (RCC), a unit in the Office of Research, provides high-end research computing resources to researchers at the University of Chicago. It is dedicated to enabling research by providing access to centrally managed High Performance Computing (HPC), storage, and visualization resources. These resources include hardware, software, high-level scientific and technical user support, and the education and training required to help researchers make full use of modern HPC technology and local and national supercomputing resources. The Office of Research oversees the conduct of sponsored research, research program development, and contract management functions.

Job Summary

The job develops software to support the data acquisition, ingestion, and integration for research projects. Assists in the development of user interfaces and scalable back-end services to automate and accelerate the scientific output of multi-institutional research projects.

The University of Chicago Research Computing Center (RCC) is seeking a highly motivated Computational Scientist with expertise in Geographic Information System (GIS) to work closely with faculty and researchers. The person in this position will serve as a technical domain expert, supporting and advising faculty and students in enabling their research from a range of disciplines. The successful candidate will be part of the RCC-GIS initiative and will be experienced in GIS software and spatial analysis methods with a focus on innovative uses of GIS technologies and spatial data.

Responsibilities

• Implement and support a variety of GIS applications and software.
  
• Support faculty and researchers with large and small-scale management and analysis of primarily spatial data, which will include but not limited to data at a range of different scales, from cities, public agencies, and the private sector.
  
• Coordinate and lead the implementation and usage of GIS applications, software and tools; oversee and participate in creating, maintaining, and updating new and existing data layers and databases.
  
• Work with local, national, and international data repositories and historical datasets to support or advance research.
  
• Design tutorials, hands-on workshops, and documentation for researchers and students with the help and coordination of other RCC staff.
  
• Keep abreast of new developments in GIS, particularly in remote sensing, aerial, and mapping data, and be pro-active in introducing them to the faculty.
  
• Help faculty with grant proposals by contributing sections describing the interplay between research objectives and new or expanded data resources.
  
• Participates in the product development life cycle, providing professional assistance to the design of front-end applications and database systems back-end schema. Analyzes high-level system specifications and makes sure that all application development standards are met.
  
• Develops and presents technical training materials and web-based documentation. Ensures timely systems support and updates. Assists in conducting information security assessments and risk analysis of computing environment.
  
• Evaluates past and present technologies to help develop new tools. Ensures all the new tools have been through quality control reviews.
  
• Performs other related work as needed.
  

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
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Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, Urban Planning, Remote Sensing, Information Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experience working with raster and vector geospatial datasets one or more GIS software platforms (ESRI's ArcGIS, Quantum GIS, GeoDa, GeoMedia, etc.).
  
• Principles and methods of GIS systems, database management, and strong knowledge in cartographic composition techniques.
  
• Hands on experience in developing and carrying out data analytical strategies and pipelines on GIS data in a high-performance computing environment.
  
• Experience and general proficiency with use of one or more high-level analysis tools or statistical languages (e.g., R, SAS,MATLAB, IDL, etc.).
  
• Numerical and/or GIS computing experience using Python and/or R.
  
• Fluency in data organization, manipulation and analysis.
  
• Experience in a UNIX/Linux-based environment.
  

Preferred Competencies

• Understand and translate researchers' scientific goals into computational requirements.
  
• Work well with faculty and researchers.
  
• Identify and gain expertise in appropriate new technologies and/or software tools.
  
• Function as part of an interactive team while demonstrating self-initiative to achieve project's goals and Research Computing Center's mission.
  
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability.
  

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
  
• Cover Letter (preferred)
  

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

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, 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.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

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.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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