Clinical and Data Scientist

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Job Profile:

Job Summary:

The UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) is seeking a Scientist with expertise in data science and addiction science to join the UW-CTRI Research Program. The Scientist will work with Jesse Kaye, PhD, and other UW-CTRI investigators to support programs of research using diverse methodologies to advance tobacco use treatment development, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation. The Scientist will primarily support a program of tobacco treatment research to use machine learning models to develop personalized prospective risk predictions and interventions to reduce smoking lapse and relapse likelihood by providing the right treatment, for the right person, at the right time. This position will serve as a data science subject matter expert to enhance UW-CTRI’s capacity to use sophisticated interpretable machine learning models and other advanced analytic techniques to understand tobacco dependence and treatment development. The Scientist may contribute clinical research projects to across the translational spectrum of addiction and behavioral science (e.g., clinical trials, pharmacotherapy, digital therapeutics, precision medicine, dissemination and implementation science). The Scientist will contribute to the development of new team science projects (e.g., grant/funding applications) and have the opportunity to pursue independent funding opportunities to develop their independent program of research.

Additional responsibilities include: Identifies research problems, designs research methodologies, performs research, prepares data sets and analyses them using data science techniques, presents results for presentation to professional organizations or for scholarly publications to help advance research.

• This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

• Terminal, 24 month appointment

• This position has the possibility to be extended or converted to an ongoing appointment based on need and/or funding.

• This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial caregiver check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law and then every two years.

Candidates who demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities will be given first consideration:

• Strong attention to detail

• Initiative and problem solving

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write and present research analysis and findings clearly and concisely 

• Knowledge and experience in maintaining confidentiality of research subjects and information in accordance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements

• Understanding of addictive behavior and evidence-based treatments

• Strong understanding of conceptual and practical implementation of predictive machine learning algorithms

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Collects and analyzes complex research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures under general supervision

• Serves as a unit subject matter expert and liaison to internal and external stakeholders providing advanced level information and representing the interests of a specialized research area

• Identifies research problems and develops complex research methodologies and procedures

• May supervise the day-to-day activities of a research unit as needed

• Writes or assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding

• Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information

• Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, and disseminates information to appropriate entities

• Independently identifies and implements appropriate data science techniques to answer research questions including data set preparation, data visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, reproducible workflows

• Publishes and presents results to help advance research

• Monitors program budget and approves unit expenditures

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI)

UW-CTRI is based in the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UW-CTRI improves lives by conducting biomedical and social science research to better understand the impacts of tobacco use and addiction and design and implement evidence-based interventions to reduce tobacco use.

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is $85,000 annually; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage and the SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026.

Required Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in tobacco and/or other addiction research 

• 5 years of experience working in clinical trials research setting

• Experience using R and the tidyverse/tidymodels ecosystem for data analysis and machine learning

• Demonstrated track record of successful research program (e.g., first-authored publications, research grants) appropriate to career stage

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with the design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of clinical trials research

• Knowledge and experience in precision or personalized medicine

• Experience with data collection software such as REDCap

• Experience with qualitative research methods

• Experience with remote or decentralized clinical research methods

• Completion of a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist training program

• Experience providing counseling and/or clinical supervision for treatment of tobacco, substance use disorders, and other behavioral health conditions

Education:

PhD required, with focus in clinical psychology, data science, or related field preferred

How to Apply:

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 • Cover letter [required]
 • Resume or CV [required]

Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is currently scheduled to end two years from date of hire and will require eligibility to work until that time. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work. 

The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.

Contact Information:

Jesse Kaye, PhD, [email protected], 608-262-8885

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. 

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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