In 2022, UNC Chapel Hill launched the School of Data Science and Society (SDSS), a new school devoted to data science teaching, research, scholarship, service, and creativity. The SDSS vision is to be a leader in shaping the field of data science through an interdisciplinary and rigorous grounding in theory and methods with a human centric approach to the entire data life cycle.

The mission of SDSS is to empower a diverse community of faculty conducting research in the fundamentals and/or the applications of data science. The school is training undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to be the next generation of data science leaders with the knowledge and skills to thrive in this data-driven world. The SDSS will serve the state, the nation, and the world through premier data science educational programs and innovative research directed to advancing the public good with human-centric and ethical applications.

The core elements of the SDSS include porous borders – leveraging our low-walled collaborative Carolina culture to solve major societal problems. Interdisciplinary research clusters that cross disciplines and school boundaries are a vital element of the school. The SDSS is focused on students and education – the emphasis is not just on data science majors but on all students becoming data literate. The school’s culture has an open and transparent structure, governance, and business model.

Position Summary    
This position is part of the Data Science and AI Research Service team which reports to the Director of Cross-Sector Partnerships. The Data Science and AI Research Service is a team within the School of Data Science and Society that supports data-intensive research across a broad range of data science and AI domains. The service works to enable best practices in data management, analysis, software development, and technology adoption to advance data science research and research translation.

The Research Software and AI Engineer is a team member within the Data Science and AI Research Service that supports researchers in developing and deploying AI and data science applications. The role works closely with faculty, research staff, and graduate students to enable cutting-edge data science research. The role designs, builds, and hardens software tools. The role collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams and external partners to deliver production-quality code, taking prototypes to scalable, maintainable tools. Where appropriate, the Research Software and AI Engineer incorporates state-of-the art technologies and modern development practices to maximize efficiency and usability for end users.