Date Posted: 05/05/2025
Req ID: 41598
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 57738

ABOUT US:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.
We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.
The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Scientists will advance the infield of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics.
The Acceleration Consortium received a $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant for seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related field or an acceptable combination of education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum five years of recent and relevant hands-on experience in software development, particularly in scientific or high-tech environments.
• Proficiency in Python and their scientific packages (e.g. NumPy, SciPy, Pandas)
• Experience with hardware integration, including writing drivers and API wrappers for laboratory equipment.
• Experience with workflow management tools such as Airflow and Prefect.
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and orchestration systems (Kubernetes).
• Experience with working in DevSecOps teams
• Good working knowledge in other languages such as C# and Bash
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, research-driven environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of AI/ML techniques and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and their application in scientific experimentation.
• Familiarity with high-performance computing environments, including job schedulers (e.g., SLURM, PBS, or LSF).
• Proficiency in Linux systems administration, including command-line tools, shell scripting, and system configuration.
• Experience in developing and managing scalable data infrastructures (e.g. databases, data pipelines)
• A track record of contributing to open-source projects.
• Familiarity with materials informatics, cheminformatics, or similar domains.
• Prior experience working in multidisciplinary teams involving academia and industry.

LIVED EXPERIENCE STATEMENT

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Analyzing, recommending, and designing highly complex software architecture
• Analyzing and writing program scripts to extract, reformat and analyze data
• Designing, testing, and modifying programming code
• Evaluating programming code to ensure it has validity, compatibility, and that it meets appropriate standards
• Developing technical application implementation plans
• Analyzing, recommending and designing technical solutions for highly complex IT problems
• Leading and planning IT projects
• Serving as a resource on specific issues to a group of specialists

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL BE:

• Accountable
• Communicator
• Efficient
• Goal oriented
• Insightful
• Problem solver
  This role is currently eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, pursuant to University policies and guidelines, including but not limited to the University of Toronto’s Alternative Work Arrangements Guideline.
  Closing Date: 05/23/2025, 11:59PM ET
  Employee Group: USW
  Appointment Type: Grant - Term
  Schedule: Full-Time