Postdoctoral Teaching and Learning Fellow – UBC Master of Data Science program and Department of Statistics

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver invites applications for two (or more) Postdoctoral Teaching & Learning Fellow positions related to data science:

• One or two positions are associated with the Master of Data Science (MDS) program. The MDS program focusses on the innovative and responsible use of Data Science tools across a broad spectrum of data types and domain areas. It is a 10-month, full-time program, delivered in course modules of four-week durations. The last two months are devoted to a capstone project. This program is a collaborative effort of the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Statistics, within the Faculty of Science. The Fellow(s) will be based in the Department of Computer Science or Statistics but will work closely with colleagues from both departments. The Fellow(s) will primarily report to the MDS Option Co-Directors.
• One position is within the Department of Statistics and will focus on supporting the development, review and revision of undergraduate Data Science courses.Review and revision will be focused on an existing undergraduate Data Science course, DSCI 100 – Introduction to Data Science. New courses to be developed will be in the areas of statistical inference and modeling for Data Science, as well as databases and data retrieval for Data Science. The Fellow will be based in the Department of Statistics but will work closely with colleagues from both departments. The Fellow will primarily report to Tiffany Timbers, the principal investigator of the large Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund that is supporting this work.

The Fellow(s) will:

• Expand and update the curriculum by designing and developing instructional materials in collaboration with participating faculty.
• Liaise with other UBC units engaged in Data Science teaching and learning initiatives.
• Be the primary instructor(s) for a subset of our data science courses, and provide instructional support to other faculty instructors for others.
• Train and supervise teaching assistants.
• Foster a positive learning environment for UBC data science students and be a continuous presence for the students.
• The MDS Fellow(s) will also serve on the MDS admissions committee and supervise one or more Capstone projects by mentoring students and liaising with Capstone project partners.

We aim to recruit two (or more) junior scholars. The Fellows must be committed to both the practice and the teaching of Data Science and be drawn to an academic environment. There are also opportunities for the Fellows to contribute to other Data Science research projects undertaken by the Applied Statistics and Data Science Group within the Department of Statistics.

The positions are subject to final budgetary approval. The Fellows will be appointed for up to one year (with the possibility of renewal), with an anticipated start date of November 1^st, 2020 (for the MDS Postdoctoral Teaching & Learning position(s)) and a start date of September 1^st, 2020 (for the Statistics/undergraduate Data Science Postdoctoral Teaching & Learning position). We anticipate being able to offer an attractive salary compared to norms for postdoctoral fellowships.

Applicants should hold a PhD in an area relevant to Data Science. They should have experience in at least one of these areas and enthusiasm for all: practical data management and analysis (statistical inference and/or machine learning); curriculum development; R, Python, SQL; version control and other practices related to collaborative and reproducible scientific work; and teaching data science. The appointment must commence within 5 years of being awarded a PhD.

The application package should contain the following elements: cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, contact information for three references, and any other pertinent information (e.g., links to relevant data scientific work or evidence of teaching effectiveness). The cover letter should specify which position(s) the applicant is interested in; and, if both positions, any clear preference between the two. The cover letter should also specifically address how this position relates to the applicant’s experience and career aspirations.

The application should be sent to info-mds [at] science.ubc.ca as either a single combined PDF file or a link to a public GitHub repository containing the application materials. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive; those received by July 15^th, 2020 will receive full consideration.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.