Freelance Research Data Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Department

Booth Faculty Research - Research Professional

About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.
Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.
Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.
As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment. For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

The Research Data Scientist will assist faculty with the use of technology and cutting-edge data science in research. As an integral member of the CLARITY team (Clinician-Led AI Resources Individualized To You), the Research Data Scientist will build and optimize the LLM-based text processing and multimodal video generation pipeline, conducting model evaluation and testing, and supporting deployment of a secure patient-facing interface. The Research Data Scientist will collaborate closely with behavioral scientists, clinicians, and computer science faculty to translate research objectives into reliable scalable technical solutions.
This position is expected to last one year with the possibility of a second.

Responsibilities

• Implements and maintains components of the LLM-based text-to-video pipeline.
• Develops and tests prompting, fine-tuning, and structured extraction workflows.
• Supports integration of text processing systems with video generation tools.
• Develops guardrails and evaluation metrics for factual consistency, uncertainty communication, and clinical reliability.
• Contributes to development of the secure, patient-facing interface.
• Conducts data analysis for experimental studies and clinical trial evaluation.
• Interfaces directly with collaborators.
• Applies research principles and relevant subject matter knowledge relevant to administer a research project. With a moderate level of direction, manages lab and/or research-related duties and tasks. Helps develop, design and conduct research projects according to plan.
• Supports data collection and analytical needs of research projects. Conducts literature reviews and helps write reports and manuscripts. Ensures project compliance with different policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or a closely related field.
• Master's degree in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• Background in healthcare, biomedical or other high-stakes deployment environments.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated experience working with large language models (LLMs) and/or generative AI systems.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with ML frameworks and APIs.
• Implementing and evaluating applied machine learning systems in real-world or research settings.
• Proficient in prompt engineering or fine-tuning foundation models.
• Familiar with multimodal generation tools, such as text-to-speech or text-to-video systems.
• Building or contributing to web-based interfaces or deployed systems.
• Working with structured and unstructured text data.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
• Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes.
• Excellent strategic planning, critical thinking, analytical, and persuasion skills.
• Handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods, such as in person, email, and phone.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Brief Cover Letter, describing technical experience and interest in the project (required)
• Two Professional or Academic Reference Letters sent to: stephen.lamb@chicagobooth.edu (required)
• Links to relevant code repositories, technical reports, or deployed projects (preferred)

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$69,000.00 - $72,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.