Assistant or Associate Project Scientist at CAIDA (UC San Diego)
CAIDA at UC San Diego seeks an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist for Internet measurement research and scientific data systems. Required qualifications include a PhD or equivalent terminal degree, a peer-reviewed publication record, large-scale scientific data experience, and Python and Unix/Linux scripting skills.
- Employer and research group
- University of California, San Diego; Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC).
- Job ID
- JPF04642
- Location
- San Diego, CA, US
- Salary range (USD)
- $100,400 - $131,200 per year, depending on rank and qualifications.
- Appointment
- Academic appointment in the UC Project Scientist series. This position may be filled at either the Assistant or the Associate rank, depending on qualifications.
- Posted
- Most recent review deadline
- Final application deadline
- Application status
- Applications received after the review deadline will be considered only if the position has not yet been filled, and only until the final application deadline above. Check the official UC San Diego posting for the latest status.
Apply through UC San Diego Recruit for Assistant or Associate Project Scientist (JPF04642). Applications for this vacancy must be submitted through UC San Diego Recruit.
Posting details checked against UC San Diego Recruit JPF04642 on .
Description
The Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) is an independent research group at the UC San Diego San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) focused on the macroscopic structure, behavior, and security of global Internet infrastructure. CAIDA maintains one of the most comprehensive and longitudinal collections of Internet measurement data in the world, supporting both its own peer-reviewed scientific output and a broad external research community. The datasets span multiple measurement modalities, such as active probing, passive traffic capture, routing data, and DNS, collected continuously over many years across a globally distributed monitoring infrastructure.
This Assistant Project Scientist will take scientific and technical responsibility for research projects within CAIDA’s program, contributing to its research agenda and working collaboratively with CAIDA’s research and engineering team. The position carries substantial project execution responsibilities, including contributing to peer-reviewed publications, leading proposal development, and developing research directions, alongside direct responsibility for the data systems that sustain this work. Core operational responsibilities include managing and improving data collection and processing pipelines; curating, indexing, and documenting datasets for internal use and external dissemination; maintaining metadata systems and data inventories; and coordinating integration of third-party data sources.
The position also involves collaboration with CAIDA’s systems administrator on platform maintenance, data capture workflows, and storage infrastructure, and direct engagement with the external research community — responding to dataset requests, incorporating user feedback into data collection design, and supporting researchers, visiting scholars, and external collaborators running experiments on CAIDA’s measurement platforms.
Salary
A reasonable salary range estimate for the Assistant rank is $100,400 - $126,100. A reasonable salary range estimate for the Associate rank is $121,800 - $131,200. The posted UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment; the relevant scales for this position are 38-A, 38-A(N), 37-B, and 37-B(N). “Off-scale salaries”, i.e. a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.
Basic Qualifications (required at time of application)
- PhD (or equivalent terminal degree) in a scientific, engineering, quantitative, or computational field.
- Demonstrated record of contributing to peer-reviewed research publications.
- Experience working with large-scale scientific datasets.
- Proficiency in Python and scripting in a Unix/Linux environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing, building, and maintaining data processing and curation pipelines for scientific research.
- Experience documenting datasets, maintaining metadata/data inventories, or supporting external data users.
- Experience with longitudinal or time-series measurement data at scale.
- Experience applying machine learning or NLP methods to scientific data, including building ML-integrated data pipelines.
- Experience contributing to grant proposals or technical reports, particularly to NSF or other federal science funders.
- Familiarity with Internet measurement data, tools, or infrastructure (active probing, passive traffic capture, routing, DNS, or similar).
- Familiarity with reproducible research practices and version control (e.g., git, containers, workflow documentation).
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
Application Requirements
- Curriculum Vitae - your most recently updated C.V.
- Personal Statement.
- Statement of Research.
- Copies of 3-5 significant publications (optional).
- 3-5 references (contact information only).
Work arrangement and eligibility
The official posting lists San Diego, CA as the job location. Remote or hybrid work arrangements, appointment percentage, and visa sponsorship are not specified in the posting checked on November 7, 2026. Contact the hiring department through UC San Diego Recruit JPF04642 for those details.