Research Associate Data Scientist

Research Associate Data Scientist at UNSW

The Research Associate Data Scientist at UNSW's City Futures Research Centre plays a pivotal role in externally funded research projects. This position involves critical activities such as data collection, data wrangling, big data analytics, and the application of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. The primary focus is on data and analytics related to development applications across Australia.

Reporting to a Senior Lecturer, the Research Associate Data Scientist will work within a collaborative, multidisciplinary team comprising data scientists, software engineers, and computer scientists. This role does not have direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Contribute independently and collaboratively to research activities, enhancing the quality and impact of research outcomes.
• Undertake discipline-appropriate research tasks including literature reviews, surveys, data collection, recording, and analysis using suitable research methods.
• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze research data from diverse sources, including open data repositories and government and industry partners, for the Australian Development Applications Intelligence project.
• Apply established and emerging analytical methods, such as spatial analysis, natural language processing, and machine learning, under the guidance of senior academic staff.
• Contribute to scholarly outputs and support the dissemination of research findings through publications, conferences, and workshops.
• Assist with the supervision of research students and contribute to the broader development of research activities within the project team.

Skills and Experience

• A PhD in a related discipline (e.g., urban analytics, data science, modelling and simulation, computer science, geographic information science) and/or relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated skills in data analytical techniques, including geoprocessing, spatial statistics, big data analytics, and spatial data mining.
• Experience applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, including natural language processing and other data mining methods, to large datasets, ideally urban or city-scale data.
• Proficiency in computer programming for data analysis, with experience using languages such as Python and R to work with large and complex datasets.
• Proven commitment to proactively keeping up to date with discipline knowledge and developments.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake high quality academic research and conduct independent research with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated track record of publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines, and build effective relationships.
• Evidence of highly developed interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and interact with a diverse range of stakeholders and students.

Benefits and Culture at UNSW

UNSW values its staff, offering a supportive culture and excellent benefits, including career development opportunities, 17% superannuation contributions, additional leave loading, 3 extra days of leave over Christmas, and various discounts and entitlements.

Key Skills/Competency

• Data Science
• Big Data Analytics
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Spatial Analysis
• Natural Language Processing
• Python
• R programming
• Research Methodology
• Urban Analytics