Data Scientist Research Associate Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Posting Information
Posting Details
Department
Renaissance Computing Inst - 637100
Posting Open Date
08/05/2025
Application Deadline
07/19/2026
Open Until Filled
Yes
Position Type
Postdoctoral Scholar
Position Title
BDC Post-Doc Research Associate
Vacancy ID
PDS004619
Full-time/Part-time
Full-Time Temporary
Hours per week
40
FTE
1
Work Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Position Location
North Carolina, US
Hiring Range
Dependent upon Qualifications
Proposed Start Date
09/01/2025
Estimated Duration of Appointment
12 Months
Position Information
Be a Tar Heel!
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.
Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.
UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Are you ready to go beyond the state of the art?
At the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), we use data, creativity, and inclusive teaming to revitalize how science is done. Fostering data science expertise and creating cyberinfrastructure isn't just about solving known problems - it's about expanding human potential by unlocking data.
We need innovators, builders, strategists, technologists, architects, and creative thinkers across all domains to drive this work forward. When you join our team, you'll:
-Spend your time solving the interesting and unique problems of research and development.
-Shape your future through experimentation and unfettered access to premier education and research.
-Make connections to people and projects that ignite your passion.
We know that diversity of people and ideas is a cornerstone of innovation, and we work to ensure our culture reflects that knowledge. We provide the tools you need to do your job effectively; we offer flexibility so you can be the most productive version of you; and we encourage thoughtful and challenging discourse.
Join our research institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today and help us spark a scientific renaissance across the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and beyond.
Position Summary
The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at UNC Chapel Hill is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to innovative projects within the NIH BioData Catalyst (BDC) ecosystem a cloud-based platform that provides secure access to biomedical data, analytic tools, and collaborative workspaces. This position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge initiatives aimed at improving how researchers interact with complex data and analysis workflows.
Potential project areas include developing semantic search capabilities to help users efficiently locate relevant datasets, designing natural language interfaces for more intuitive navigation of the BDC environment, creating BDC-specific foundation models, and enabling large language models (LLM) and machine learning-based workflows within the platform. The role may also involve advancing harmonization techniques to improve data interoperability and usability across the ecosystem. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-impact, translational research infrastructure at the intersection of biomedical informatics, cloud computing, and AI.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, or a related field.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Experience deploying and working with LLMs
Agentic workflows and retrieval augmented generation (RAG)
Prompt engineering experience
Developing, training, and testing machine learning (ML) models
Software engineering expertise
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Experience with biomedical data, including clinical, EHR, omics, and imaging
Knowledge graphs (KGs), and integrating LLMs with KGs
Multimodal LLMs
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
Special Instructions
For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here
Quick Link
https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/304374
Posting Contact Information
Department Contact Name and Title
Misty Parrish Human Resources Specialist
Department Contact Telephone or Email
misty.parrish@unc.edu
Postdoctoral Affairs Contact Information
If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.
Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.