Lead Researcher

Overview

Pay Range: Targeted salary $75,000 - 87,000 annually, based on experience

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., may include some weekends

Travel: Not required

For Best Consideration Date: 6/1/2026

Position Introduction

Are you a highly motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced, high-performing, dynamic team environment? This position works with a broad range of faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduates, primarily but not exclusively in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, collaborating with them to adapt AI into their research and/or to improve their use of AI. This position also includes developing and presenting training on using AI in research and creating a national workforce development program for AI Consultants.

This position is within the OU Supercomputing Center for Education and Research (OSCER), a division of OU IT.

• Oversees research activities and provides operational supervision for AI consulting.
• Collaborates with research teams statewide in providing AI consulting, for adopting AI into those teams' research and/or improving their use of AI.
• Develops and presents training on adoption and improvement of AI in research.
• Develops and presents workforce development content for pre-service and in-service AI Consultants.
• Mentors student AI Consultants and peer-mentors professional AI Consultants.
• Collaborates with colleagues in the OU IT Research Computing team and other OU IT teams to support use of AI intensive systems and services.
• Responsible for oversight of research activities and projects.
• Initiates, plans and directs field studies.
• Supervises and directs the preparation, identification, and cataloging of information and specimens.
• Executes special projects, researches and analyzes data, writes reports and makes recommendations.
• Searches and applies for sponsored research.
• Performs qualitative and quantitative analyses.
• Maintains an up-to-date literature file related to field of specialization.
• Prepares and submits research for presentations and publication.
• Performs various duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position.

Required Education And Experience

• Master's degree.
• 36 months related research experience, including supervision.

Equivalency/Substitution:
Will accept 72 months related research experience in lieu of the Master's degree for a total of 108 months of related experience.

Department Preferences

• Experience and proficiency with Python programming, especially for AI calculations.
• Experience and proficiency with use of AI software technologies (for example, Tensorflow, PyTorch, etc.).
• Experience and proficiency with using hardware accelerators, especially GPUs for AI calculations.
• Experience with research and/or practice in one or more STEM disciplines.
• Experience with collaborating with researchers (faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and/or undergraduate students), especially across multiple disciplines.
• Experience with teaching and/or tutoring and/or providing research training.
• Experience and proficiency with high performance computing and/or similar area of computing.
• Experience with using one or more Unix-like operating systems, for example Linux.

Hiring Contingent Upon a Background Check: Yes