Research Professional 7 - GEMS Informatics

GEMS Informatics Center requires a research and development leader to develop a state-wide and nationally recognized research lab and lead the GEMS Sensing service area. This individual will be responsible for the on-going success of their lab and GEMS Sensing, and will work closely with senior leadership to ensure these program areas are achieving broader, center- and college-level strategic objectives.

Success in this role requires developing an interdisciplinary lab of scientists and engineers located in the GEMS Informatics Center. Work will focus on real-time geospatial data systems (hardware and software) applied to agricultural systems. Research and development will support the GEMS Sensing and GEMS Learning service offerings at the University of Minnesota. The lab's mandate is to work in the GEMS Informatics Center to both advance the state-of-the-art and support service offerings for other researchers.

Within this more general area of R&D, the lab should prioritize questions that evaluate new state-of-the-art systems through:

• Identifying and testing generalizable principles underlying the spatial and temporal dynamics of agent (e.g., human-human, human-environment, environment-plant, etc) interactions, and
• Identifying applied solutions that more efficiently and effectively integrate real-time data and spatial modeling into decision support systems for agricultural management and policy.

Results from these research programs should be made accessible to students, public and private researchers, and policy makers in ways that advance GEMS and CFANS strategic priorities.
Develop models and associated decision-support pipelines, value-added data products, and sensing systems deployed to GEMS Exchange and GEMS Sensing when appropriate for application area and given demand level

• Grow the user base of multiple decision-support pipelines and value-added data products
• Promote and provide on-going support to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency research and development activities both across and external to UMN
• Contribute to center and lab income generation and diversification by means of grants, contracts and (ISO/ESO) service subscriptions

Position Responsibilities
Research and Development Principal Investigator (80%)

• Develop and sustain a state-wide and nationally recognized multidisciplinary research program that uses and expands on existing GEMS Service offerings. This work includes securing funding to sustain a research lab, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and establishing strong ties with relevant non-profit and for-profit industries.
• Contribute to the determination of business and engineering priorities for GEMS in general and GEMS Sensing in particular. This can include, but is not limited to: determining markets and/or organizations to pursue, how best to pursue them, and what success looks like in those pursuits.
• Lead the architecting and engineering of scalable, big data to decisions pipelines that leverage state-of-the-art data engineering, machine learning, and artificial intelligence techniques.
• Lead the production of quality professional and policy outputs such as journal articles, books, book chapters, presentations, science training documentation, and online content.
• Explore and scope new research project collaborations, potential team members, and science opportunities by engaging professionally with graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and other professionals from a variety of institutions, including departments and centers of the University of Minnesota (including the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute), international development and research institutions, private agribusiness firms and others.
• Mentor student, post-doctoral candidates, and junior team members in science careers directions, data science processes, scientific communication, among other areas appropriate to the specific team member.
• Strengthen the research computing linkages between GEMS and researchers across the University of Minnesota, public and private partners external to the University.
• Engage in on-going skill building in science management, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to identify new state-of-the-art science management procedures and technologies that can support the software architecting and engineering; share new knowledge through GEMS learning and other communication channels such as memorandum, presentations, and online content.

Technical Program and Product Management (20%)

This position will oversee and direct all aspects of GEMS Sensing. This work will include:

• Manage budgets for GEMS Sensing. Develop budgets in collaboration with GEMS leadership, financial and administrative staff.
• Ensure alignment of GEMS Sensing within GEMS as a whole as well as CFANS, Research Computing, and the broader University of Minnesota.
• Collaborate with prospective users and clients of GEMS Sensing to understand and anticipate their needs and translate them into product requirements
• Define the strategy and vision for GEMS Sensing products, ensuring complementarity to other service areas within the GEMS Informatics Center
• Create executing plans based on strategy and vision
• Manage the work backlogs and prioritizing actions based on changing requirements, making recommendations to the relevant GEMS Oversight Committee for areas of strategic investment
• Oversee all stages of product creation including design and development of new features by working in partnership with GEMS Labs and GEMS engineering teams
• Develop clear descriptions of users' needs for features
• Monitor and evaluate product progress at each stage of the process
• Liaise with the product team and end-users to deliver updates
• Participate in regular meetings with the oversight committees for GEMS as a whole and GEMS Sensing specifically

Required Qualifications

• PhD in a quantitative field emphasizing geocomputing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence focused on agricultural systems with substantial research and publication record.
• Proven capability to lead complex scientific projects in a complex environment across multiple internal and external organizational units
• Excellent skills in agent-based modeling and geosimulation of agricultural systems
• Advanced data science skills in Python and R. In particular, Python skills in common machine learning libraries such as TensorFlow and the SciPy stack. Substantial experience with geopandas.
• Proven track record of publishing in the agricultural and geocomputing sciences
• Track record of high technology research and development productization and entrepreneurship
• At least four years of experience as a principal investigator successfully managing projects from ideation through implementation to completion
• Multiple completed projects that require efficiently handling big streaming data from disparate sources
• Multiple completed projects working with and building both socio-ecological and agro-environmental models
• Multiple completed projects with spatial database deployment and management
• Three years of experience managing engineers and overseeing work on embedded systems
• Excellent technical communications and supervisory skills

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD plus a masters or undergraduate degree in the plant sciences
• Demonstrated history of developing and managing multi-disciplinary grant proposals
• Knowledge of and experience working with both private and public organizations to address complex problems in food and agriculture

The GEMS Informatics Initiative, a joint CFANS and Research Computing (Minnesota Supercomputing Institute and U-Spatial) agri-food informatics initiative of the University of Minnesota, is supported by a highly diverse international and interdisciplinary team of professionals. GEMS makes genomics, environmental, management, and socioeconomic data inter-operable at varying spatial and temporal scales to generate actionable information and promote new innovation partnerships that accelerates and sustains growth in local and global food and agricultural systems. In CFANS, the initiative is directed by the GEMS Informatics Center.

GEMS has five program areas:

1. GEMS Platform: Data sharing and analysis platform
2. GEMS Sensing: Field-based IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and data services
3. GEMS Exchange: Data streaming services via interoperable APIs
4. GEMS Learning: Digital and data science education
5. GEMS Solutions: Consulting services

Pay Range: $125,000.00 - $133,000.00; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 75%-100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

A resume and cover letter are required for consideration.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

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