Postdoctoral Research Associate - School of Computer Science - MLD

Carnegie Mellon University; False Pass (AK); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Life insurance

Transit pass

Family concierge support

Fitness center access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance research at the nexus of AI, operations research and decision making. You will work with public and private data sets, implement optimization-based models, and collaborate with leading scholars at CMU.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD and demonstrates strong quantitative and programming skills, with a plus for data pipelines and modern AI tools.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in a quantitative field such as operations research, economics, CS, or data science.
• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities for collaborative research.
• Experience with data analysis and building data pipelines preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain lab equipment and manage supplies.
• Assist in manuscript preparation and grant writing as needed.
• Collect and analyze data from public/private datasets and literature.
• Conduct experiments within the project scope and methodology.
• Collaborate with team members on research outputs.

Skills

Strong communication

Problem-solving

Organization

Reasoning skills

Education

PhD in Operations Research / Economics / Computer Science / Data Science

Tools

Data pipelines

AI tools

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world's most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn't imagine the future, we invent it. If you're passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

The AI and Work initiative at Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a team advancing research at the nexus of AI, operations research and decision making and their applications to workforce policy and reskilling. The project builds on ongoing work using optimization-based models to predict future skill demands in key economic sectors due to emerging AI technologies. The postdoctoral researcher will help extend this agenda through theoretical development, empirical testing and evaluation of the model and its calibration via simulation and observational data analysis. The project has industry partners and will offer opportunities to work with public and private data sets.

We are looking for someone with strong foundations in operations research/optimization modeling and econometric/statistical/ml analysis with a passion for applied problem solving. The work will involve large-scale data analysis and work with public and private data sets (e.g., O*NET and Lightcast). A computer science background and the ability to build data pipelines are a plus, as well as fluency in modern AI tools.

This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with leading scholars in AI/ML, Data Science, Operations Research and Information Systems. The initiative is led by the directors of the NIST-funded AI Measurement Science and Engineering Center and the NSF-funded AI Institute for Societal Decision Making at Carnegie Mellon University, who are recipients of a Laude Moonshot award.

Core Responsibilities

• Lab maintenance, including equipment maintenance and ordering of supplies may be required depending on area and specialty.
• Participate/assist in manuscript writing for publication in scientific journals and/or presentations. May also assist in grant writing.
• Collect and analyze data, including periodical/literature search and utilizing specialized skills in related field to analyze the collected data.
• Conduct research experiments within the predetermined research scope and methodology of department and university.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree required (or near completion) in operations research, economics, computer science, data science or a related quantitative field.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, organization, and reasoning skills.
• A combination of education and proven experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

• comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/health-welfare/index.html)
• generous retirement savings program (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/retirement-savings/index.html) with employer contributions.
• tuition benefits (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/tuition/index.html)
• paid time off (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/time-away/pto.html) and observed holidays (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/time-away/holidays.html).
• life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• access to our Family Concierge Team (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/work-life/support/family-child-care-resources/index.html) to help navigate childcare needs.
• fitness center access (https://athletics.cmu.edu/recreation/facilities).
• and much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page (https://www.cmu.edu/hr/benefits/index.html).

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it's about