Principal Research Scientist VIII​/Director of AI Science

Purpose Of The Position

We are seeking an internationally recognized Principal Research Scientist VIII/Director of AI for Science to lead strategic research and innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, Earth and space sciences, scientific data systems, and open science. The successful candidate will drive transformational initiatives spanning AI foundation models, large‑scale scientific computing, data‑intensive science, scientific knowledge systems, and cross‑agency research collaboration. The selected candidate will support the Office of Data Science and Informatics (ODSI) within the Lab for Applied Science (LAS) under the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at UAH.

Job no: 504033
Department: Earth System Science Center
Work type: Staff Full-time Exempt
Location: Alabama
Categories: Research - Other

• Define and execute a long‑term research vision for AI‑enabled scientific discovery across Earth, climate, atmospheric, environmental, and space sciences.
• Lead development of enterprise‑scale AI strategies, including foundation models, scientific machine learning, large language models, and agentic AI systems for science.
• Establish institutional priorities and roadmaps for AI for Science, scientific data systems, and computational research infrastructure.
• Lead and manage a diverse portfolio of federally funded research and technology programs.
• Build and oversee multidisciplinary teams consisting of scientists, engineers, data scientists, software developers, and external collaborators.
• Identify and secure new funding opportunities through federal agencies, industry partnerships, and collaborative initiatives.
• Establish and manage strategic collaborations with federal agencies, academia, industry, and international organizations.

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Earth Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 13.5 years of full‑time verifiable work experience.
• 15+ years of progressively responsible research leadership experience.
• Internationally recognized expertise in AI for Science, Earth and space science informatics, scientific data systems, or scientific machine learning.
• Demonstrated success leading large multidisciplinary research programs and distributed technical teams.
• Proven experience managing multimillion‑dollar research portfolios and complex federally funded initiatives.
• Strong publication record in peer‑reviewed scientific journals and conferences.
• Demonstrated success building strategic partnerships across government, academia, and industry.
• Excellent written, verbal, and executive‑level communication skills.