NSF-Simons Foundation-funded National AI Institute for the Sky
Position ID:
SkAIInstitute-ASSISTANTDIRECTOR [#31712]
Position Title:
Assistant Director for Research Operations
Position Type:
Administration
Position Location:
Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States of America
Subject Area:
Appl Deadline:
2026/03/27 23:59:59 (posted 2026/02/20)
Position Description:
Position Description
The Assistant Director for Research Operations is a senior operational role responsible for ensuring the effective planning, coordination, and execution of the SkAI Institute’s multi‑institutional research activities in coordination with the rest of the SkAI operations team, as well as SkAI leadership. The role supports scientific teams working at the intersection of AI, astrophysics, and data‑intensive research, and enables the Institute to deliver on its national‑scale mission. The SkAI Institute—the NSF–Simons Foundation-funded AI Institute for the Sky—is a national research institute focused on advancing trustworthy AI to accelerate discovery in astronomy and astrophysics. SkAI is led by Northwestern University, in partnership with the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with 24 partners, including DOE national labs, in the state of Illinois and beyond. The Institute’s mission is to unleash the discovery potential of and solve multiscale astrophysics challenges related to large sky surveys while utilizing and advancing innovative AI methods. Key Responsibilities Research Operations & Administration - Oversee day‑to‑day operations for SkAI’s research programs across all areas and partners - Support research planning, internal meetings, workshops, scientific reviews, and collaborative working groups - Develop workflows and tools that enhance communication, transparency, and coordination across a distributed research network - Develop and apply Institute‑level operational policies, internal communications, and governance processes, as well as contribute to ongoing process improvement - Translate strategic goals into operational plans and timelines - Maintain documentation, best practices, and shared operational resources Researcher & Community Support - Serve as a liaison between SkAI researchers and research project teams, respectively, and foster a robust and collaborative community - Administer researcher (postdoc) onboarding, resource navigation, and community tools Event & Program Coordination - Oversee logistics, scheduling, speaker coordination, and event communications related to SkAI research events - Collaborate with internal stakeholders to integrate research into other types of programming (e.g., Education and Outreach) Reporting & Evaluation - Oversee and develop the preparation of different types of reports, progress summaries, and evaluation materials in collaboration with other SkAI operations team members and research leadership - Oversee tracking for research metrics, participation data, and program impact indicators in collaboration with other SkAI operations team members Financial Oversight & Resource Management - Support the SkAI Director of Operations and Outreach on budget planning, monitoring, forecasting, and expenditure alignment for SkAI’s multi‑year federal/ foundation‑funded award - Support the SkAI Director of Operations and Outreach with subaward coordination, procurement, and resource allocation across partner institutions Required Qualifications - Master’s degree in astrophysics, physics, AI-related, and other relevant fields would be considered - Evidence of working in complex research environments, including demonstrated leadership and project management experiences - Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills Preferred Qualifications - PhD strongly preferred - Experience partnering with or working on large, federally funded projects or institutes, and/or with industry partners - Familiarity with AI/ML research, data‑intensive workflows, or computational science environments - Experience with supporting community development, researcher training, or collaborative science networks - Experience with grant writing processes - Experience in research operations, center‑level administration, or large‑scale program management - Ability to work with interdisciplinary teams spanning AI, astrophysics, engineering, and data science - Post-graduate experience in collaborative research environments Core Competencies - Operational excellence in distributed research environments -Comfortable with public speaking -Project management skills -Synthesis & solutions-oriented thinking -Systems thinking-oriented -Collaborative leadership -Flexibility, creativity, operating within a start-up-like environment, and comfortable multitasking Application Instructions To apply, please submit: - CV - A cover letter describing relevant experience and interest - Contact information for three referencesApplication Materials Required:
Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses
)
Further Info: