Research Scientist, Climate Modeling

Hybrid: Persons in these roles are expected to spend 2-3 days per week in our Seattle offices and may occasionally work remotely from their home in the Greater Seattle area. On-site requirements vary based on position and team. If you have questions about Hybrid work arrangements for this role, please ask your recruiter.

Compensation Range: $167,030 - $260,570

First consideration of applicants will be reviewed October 15, 2024. Position will remain open until filled.

Who You Are:

You are creative, curious, and collaborative. You're a deep thinker and a careful coder with Ph.D.-level expertise in machine learning and deep technical interest in climate modeling. You yearn to rise to the challenge of using ML to make better climate models as part of a world-leading Ai2 research team that works closely with top U.S. climate modeling institutions. You are a thought leader and a team player who delivers cutting-edge research and well-crafted code that breaks barriers.

Who We Are: 

Ai2’s Climate Modeling team is an international pioneer in using machine learning (ML) methodologies to improve current climate models.  We seek a Research Scientist to use novel ML approaches to enable coarse-grid climate models to better emulate the weather and climate of ultra-fine grid reference simulations. You will join a tight-knit team of scientists and software engineers collaborating with external climate modeling groups.  Ai2 is a non-profit research institute in beautiful, vibrant Seattle focused on developing AI for the public good.  Its 200-person staff research areas of AI such as natural language processing, vision and robotics, and environmental AI.  Ai2 is committed to providing an excellent work environment and hiring a diverse workforce.  More detail about the Ai2 mission and values is below.

Your Next Challenge:

In our mission-driven environment you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Collaboratively design and deploy the next generation of our ML system that makes much more computationally efficient models of the global atmosphere, land and ocean that  accurately simulate past and future climates
• Implement and improve novel generative AI methods for roll-out and downscaling, in a rapidly evolving field of study
• Help create an open-source product that the climate modeling community and climate-sensitive decision-makers can really use
• Disseminate new methods and findings in conferences and scientific journals
• Work with and learn from team members in the Climate Modeling group and across Ai2, as well as our external collaborators
• Mentor graduate student interns

What You’ll Need:

• You must have substantial experience building and deploying a relevant ML application in a practical or academic research setting and be fluent in Python and collaborative coding practices
• You must have a Ph. D. in computer or computational science, atmospheric science or a related geophysical science, or applied mathematics/statistics, with at least one first-authored publication making extensive use of ML
• Demonstrated excellent communications skills

It's A Bonus If You:

• Have formal training and/or practical experience with physically-based atmospheric, oceanic, or related model development
• Have previously held a professional or post-doctoral position using your machine learning skills 
• Formal graduate-level ML coursework 

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time. 
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. 
• The ability to observe details at close range.
• Can work under deadlines.

A Little More About Ai2:

Ai2 is a Seattle based non-profit AI research institute founded in 2014 by the late Paul Allen. Our mission is building breakthrough AI to solve the world’s biggest problems. We develop foundational AI research and innovation to deliver real-world impact through large-scale open models, data, robotics, conservation, and beyond.

In addition to Ai2’s core mission, we also aim to contribute to humanity through our treatment of each member of the Ai2 Team. Some highlights are:

• We are a learning organization – because everything Ai2 does is ground-breaking, we are learning every day. Similarly, through weekly Ai2 Academy lectures, a wide variety of world-class AI experts as guest speakers, and our commitment to your personal on-going education, Ai2 is a place where you will have opportunities to continue learning alongside your coworkers. 
• We value diversity - We seek to hire, support, and promote people from all genders, ethnicities, and all levels of experience regardless of age. We particularly encourage applications from women, non-binary individuals, people of color, members of the LGBTQA+ community, and people with disabilities of any kind. 
• We value inclusion - We understand the value that people's individual experiences and perspectives can bring to an organization, and we are building a culture in which all voices are heard, respected and considered.
• We emphasize a healthy work/life balance – we believe our team members are happiest and most productive when their work/life balance is optimized. While we value powerful research results which drive our mission forward, we also value dinner with family, weekend time, and vacation time. We offer generous paid vacation and sick leave as well as family leave.
• We are collaborative and transparent – we consider ourselves a team, all moving with a common purpose. We are quick to cheer our successes, and even quicker to share and jointly problem solve our failures.
• We are in Seattle – and our office is on the water! We have mountains, we have lakes, we have four seasons, we bike to work, we have a vibrant theater scene, and we have so much else. We even have kayaks for you to paddle right outside our front door. We welcome interest from applicants from outside of the United States.
• We are friendly– chances are you will like every one of the 200+ (and growing) people who work here. We do. 

Ai2 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. You may view the related Know Your Rights compliance poster and the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision by clicking on their corresponding links. 

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities to the full extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you feel you need a reasonable accommodation pursuant to the ADA, you are encouraged to contact us at recruiting@allenai.org.

Benefits:

• Team members and their families are covered by medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and an employee assistance program.
• Team members are able to enroll in our voluntary life insurance program, our voluntary accidental death and dismemberment program, our health savings account plan, our healthcare reimbursement arrangement plan, and our health care and dependent care flexible spending account plans.
• Team members are able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan.
• Team members will receive $125 per month to assist with commuting or internet expenses and are eligible to receive up to $200 reimbursement for health and wellbeing expenses per month.
• Team members will also receive up to ten sick days per year, up to seven personal days per year, up to 20 vacation days per year and twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
• Team members will be able to receive annual bonuses and can participate in the long-term incentive plan.

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the team members(s) of this position. Team members will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the team member(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at will relationship.