Job Title
Research Data Scientist
Agency
Texas A&M University
Department
Institute For A Disaster Resilient Texas
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
Houston, Texas
Job Type
Staff
Job Description
Our Commitment
Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.
Who We Are The Institute for Disaster Resilient Texas, located at the Houston campus, works to facilitate and deliver critical research on disaster risk reduction, provide data analytics and decision-making tools, and generate evidence-based solutions that help Texas communities become more resilient over the longer term. To learn more, visit https://idrt.tamug.edu What We Want We seek a highly skilled and collaborative Data Scientist to lead the development and implementation of advanced statistical and machine learning models, manage large-scale geospatial and temporal datasets, and enhance data infrastructure to support research and applied projects focused on hazard risk, resilience, and mitigation. The ideal candidate will possess strong technical expertise in data science, cloud-based platforms, and geospatial analysis, along with the ability to translate complex findings into accessible insights for stakeholders. This role requires a strategic thinker with experience in federal and state-funded initiatives, a passion for data-informed decision-making, and the ability to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across academic, government, and public sectors.
This position involves designing and implementing advanced statistical and machine learning models, developing interactive visualizations, and supporting data infrastructure to inform research and applied projects. The Data Scientist will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to support federal- and state-funded initiatives focused on hazard risk, resilience, and mitigation.
What You Need To Know
Compensation will be commensurate to the selected hire's experience.
A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended.
Qualifications
Required Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree in applicable field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Eight years of related experience.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong academic background in statistics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or similar discipline.
Significant knowledge in research and applications of Data Science in one or more operational domains and associated disciplines including but not limited to: transportation, mobility, facilities management, environmental sensing, image and video interpretation, geospatial data processing.
Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Proficiency in applying advanced statistical analyses and developing predictive models for natural hazard-related data.
Experience with data visualization tools and programming languages (e.g., R, Python, SQL).
Experience with data management and data analytics in cloud-based platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure, Databricks, Amazon Web Service).
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams, institutions, and agencies.
Strong written communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
Ability to train, validate, apply machine learning models to complex data sets.
Preferred Qualifications
Masters or PhD in an area related to Data Science, Urban and Regional Sciences, Computer Science/Engineering, Statistics, or related field and significant experience in foundations and/or applications of Data Science in an academic, industrial, government on non-profit setting, commensurate with level of appointment.
Experience developing research proposals and developing collaborations with faculty and researchers across organizations.Significant ability to answer questions using advanced statistical methods.
Significant knowledge of A/B testing, including test design, sampling, hypothesis testing, evaluation of evidence and measurement.
Significant knowledge of querying data from relational databases using SQL.
Significant knowledge and ability to use R or Python to develop analytical solutions.
Significant knowledge of data wrangling, data cleaning and prep, dimensionality reduction.
Significant knowledge of GIS tools and systems; Big Data concepts, tools, and architecture (e.g. Cloud, Hadoop, Pig, Hive, Spark).
Data visualization skills and ability to present technical solutions to non-technical audience.
Ability to cultivate and maintain professional working relationships with people.
Research experience related to meteorological risk, disaster mitigation, and/or hazard impacts.
Experience working on federally and/or state-funded research grants or contracts.
Experience developing/supporting web-based mapping applications and information systems.
Knowledge of disaster resilience issues in Texas and the Gulf Coast region.
Experience with geospatial analysis and spatial database management, and related tools and languages (e.g., GDAL; PostgreSQL/PostGIS). ?
Responsibilities
Data Strategy and Management- Develop and implement a research data and information management strategy to support applied and academic projects. Design and manage large-scale research databases, incorporating geospatial and temporal data related to natural hazards. Select, install, and configure foundational database systems, visualization software, and cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., Azure, AWS, Databricks). Develop tools and pipelines for cleaning, transforming, and integrating datasets from multiple sources. Establish standards and criteria for data quality, storage, and usage to enhance project efficiency and reproducibility.
Consulting and Collaboration- Serve as a point of contact for data requests, analytics consultations, and statistical modeling across internal and external teams. Guide stakeholders through data interpretation, predictive model outputs, and spatial insights. Document project needs, timelines, and deliverables while maintaining open communication with collaborators. Support proposal development and data-driven strategy in state and federally funded initiatives.
Website and Communication Enhancements- Enhance the public-facing website by integrating interactive dashboards, mapping tools, and visual analytics. Work with marketing and communications staff to promote tools and insights developed by the research team. Translate technical findings into accessible formats for stakeholders, policymakers, and public audiences.
Budget and Resource Management- Assist leadership in planning and allocating resources for research and data consulting efforts. Manage time-tracking and documentation of consulting services to inform budgeting and reporting. Monitor consulting requests and coordinate intake and project assignment workflows. Discuss scope, pricing, and timelines with external partners and clients, as needed.
Organizational Development- Lead strategic planning around data infrastructure and analytics to improve organizational efficiency. Assess and enhance internal data workflows, ensuring alignment with research goals and stakeholder needs. Identify opportunities to acquire or generate new data assets and establish data partnerships with external agencies. Support a culture of data-informed decision making within the institute.
REQUIRED
This position is security sensitive.
This position requires compliance with state and federal laws/codes and Texas A&M University System/TAMU policies, regulations, rules and procedures.
All tasks and job responsibilities must be performed safely without injury to self or others in compliance with System and University safety requirements.
The position is eligible to have supervisory responsibilities.
Why Texas A&M University?
We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.? Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.? Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.?
Health (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/medical/) , dental (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/dental/) , vision (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/vision-insurance/) , life and long-term disability insurance (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/life-add/) with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
12-15 days (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/index.html) of annual paid holidays
Up to eight hours of paid sick leave (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/sick.html) ?and at least? eight hours of paid vacation?each (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/vacation.html) month
Automatically enrollment in the?Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time (https://flourish.tamu.edu/wellness-release-time/)
Professional Development: All employees have access to free? LinkedIn Learning (https://linkedinlearning.tamu.edu/) ?training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
Employee Tuition Assistance (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/employee-tuition-assistance/) and Educational Release time (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/educational.html) for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.
