Research Analyst - Adaptive/Autonomous Systems Scientist

Overview:

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers supporting federal decision making – two serving the Department of Defense (DoD) and one serving the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. IDA assists the United States Government in addressing important national security issues, particularly those requiring scientific and technical expertise.

The Science and Technology Division (STD) of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) has an immediate need for a Research Analyst. The scientists and engineers in STD offer insight into technology trends and the impact of scientific advances on national security missions by providing rigorous scientific assessments and independent perspectives on emerging science/technology and its possible application.

Responsibilities:

The Science and Technology Division at IDA provides research and analysis on a wide variety of scientific and technical problems that overlap with issues of national security. The Division conducts technology assessments critical to planning and implementing scientific research and development programs, supporting acquisition decisions, understanding foreign technology capability, and utilizing technology for individual and group training. The researcher would support the U.S. government in developing and evaluating emerging science/technologies across a broad variety of topics related to adaptive and autonomous systems.  Topics of research will include machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm selection, development, verification, validation, and optimization. The researcher will also be expected to do research in other defense-relevant research fields, such as cognitive radio systems, networks, computational models, human machine teaming, computer vision and sensors.

The ideal candidate has deep research experience with at least one adaptive or autonomous system. Such research may include developing new algorithms, optimizing neural network architecture, improving methods of verification and validation, and comparing performance and bias of various software techniques on particular types of problems or data. The ideal candidate is a researcher with extensive experience in their field and strong scientific fundamentals, but that is also interested in, and capable of, supporting the full scientific/technical spectrum of projects within STD.

Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related field is required.
• The candidate must have a proven record of scientific research and accomplishment in their field.
• The candidate must have the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a project team.
• Experience working with Department of Defense organizations, including on DoD-sponsored research, is preferred.
• Experience mentoring or training junior researchers is preferred.
• The candidate should have experience with programming languages and environments. Experience in Python, R, Stata, Mathematica, or MATLAB is highly desired.
• Experience with agile software development is preferred.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance is required.

U.S. Citizenship is required

Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance is required

IDA is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a fair recruiting process and working environment free from discrimination. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Click here to learn more about IDA's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.