Schmidt Sciences · 2 weeks ago
Senior Program Scientist, AI and Advanced Computing Institute
New York, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$300K/yr - $325K/yr
10+ years expSchmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating scientific knowledge and breakthroughs through advanced tools in various research areas including AI and advanced computing. The Senior Program Scientist will provide technical leadership and manage a team, contributing to the strategic direction and funding of AI scientific research to influence future discoveries.
Non-profit Organization Management
Responsibilities
Support the Institute lead in the design, evolution, and execution of the AI Institute’s current and future strategic, scientific, and technical direction
Co-design multi-year research agendas
Identify areas of AI where early philanthropy entry can provide significant advancement
Contribute to the overall scientific priorities in the AI and advanced computing portfolio and set future directions for engagement
Provide technical advice to the existing programs and major awards of the AI Institute
As needed, work with team members to develop new programs. Note: current program explorations include AI interpretability, evolution of communication of multi-agent systems, post-transistor AI hardware, and AI-enabled simulation of scientific processes
Support existing AI Institute programs by providing networking assistance, scientific expertise, and mentorship, as necessary, and by working closely and collaboratively with the teams responsible for delivery. Contribute to the team’s assessment of expressions of interest and research proposals
Manage 3-5 program scientists and visiting scientists to help them continue to grow their scientific discernment and grantmaking skills
Contribute to the improvement of the AI team’s operations, including our grantmaking, budgeting, events & convening, and other processes
Act as a conduit for bringing in innovative ideas and perspectives from the AI community, actively engaging with stakeholders to identify emerging trends and opportunities for collaboration
Serve as an expert advisor at Schmidt Sciences on topics in AI and advanced computing, with a focus on AI and humanities
Work with other members of the Schmidt Sciences team to drive organizational priorities and model our values
Identify potential partners for Schmidt Sciences, including universities, labs, other research facilities, and philanthropic and government organizations
Participate in relevant industry or academic conferences and events, representing Schmidt Sciences’ presence on AI and advanced computing issues
Qualification
Required
Advanced degree (e.g., PhD), from an accredited institution, with a focus on artificial intelligence
10+ years of academic and industry experience in artificial intelligence
Deep understanding of modern machine learning, including deep learning, probabilistic modeling, generative models, reinforcement learning, and large-scale representation learning
Experience leading teams and managing technical staff
Hands-on experience designing, training, and evaluating state-of-the-art models (e.g., foundation models, multimodal systems, agentic AI, simulation-based models)
Demonstrated track record of scientific accomplishments, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, patents, successful grant applications, or contributions to innovative industry projects
Ability to critically evaluate scientific, technical, and other AI-related claims in grant proposals and other technical opportunities and emerging methods
Deep relationships in the AI community and experience working with AI-focused institutions
Experience producing technical writing for expert and general audiences
Demonstrated ability to collaborate and a record of impact in high-intensity, team-based environments
Sense of urgency in driving work to completion
The highest integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality
Be able to travel within the U.S. and internationally on a regular basis as needed
Preferred
Experience building prototypes, benchmarks, or proof-of-concept systems to test scientific hypotheses or assess research investments
Strong fluency in ML engineering tools and best practices (Python, PyTorch/JAX/TF, data pipelines, MLOps, evaluation frameworks)
Experience evaluating the scalability, data requirements, compute needs, and infrastructure implications of ambitious AI projects
Expertise in AI model evaluation and red-teaming for scientific reliability
Expertise in mechanistic interpretability or auditing methods
Expertise in multi-agent systems and emergent behavior
Expertise in AI-accelerated simulation frameworks
Familiarity with how AI is used across scientific disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics, climate science, neuroscience, etc.)
Expertise in at least one scientific domain where AI is meaningfully accelerating research (e.g., protein structure prediction, generative chemistry, computational biology, materials discovery, climate modeling)
Ability to work and translate technical concepts across multiple scientific disciplines
Experience designing grantmaking / funding programs in philanthropy or government
Experience working with other science-focused institutions, such as philanthropic organizations or academic research institutions
Ability to identify underfunded opportunities and 'white space' where philanthropy can uniquely accelerate scientific progress
Public profile and extensive network in the sciences that will allow Schmidt Sciences to continue to build on our reputation in this area
Company
Schmidt Sciences
Schmidt Sciences is a philanthropy dedicated to fostering the advancement of science and technology.
11-50 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Schmidt Sciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase