Director, Halcolu Data Science Institute
 UC San Diego | |
 United States, California, San Diego | |
 Jul 02, 2026 | |
|
Position overview
Position title: Director Salary range:
A reasonable salary range estimate for this position is $200,000 - $400,000 The UC academic salary scales are posted on the UCOP website. These scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table for the salary scale for this position Table 3: FACULTY--LADDER RANKS--BUSINESS/ECONOMICS/ENGINEERING ACADEMIC YEAR. The base salary range, from the salary table(s), for this position is $150,100 - $241,400. "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, 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, qualifications, and experience. Additional UCSD salary information can be found on the campus Academic Personnel Services website. Application Window Open date: July 1, 2026 Next review date: Friday, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Final date: Thursday, Dec 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Position description The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) seeks an internationally recognized leader in data sciences with the intellectual leadership, academic entrepreneurship experience, and dedication to serve as the Director of the Halcolu Data Science Institute (HDSI). HDSI seeks a Director to propel HDSI into the next phase of its growth, while leveraging the tremendous intellectual, infrastructural, and financial resources of the Halcolu School of Data Science and Computing into enabling center-scale research projects with potential for high impact. HDSI was founded in 2018 with the philanthropic support of Taner Halcolu, a UC San Diego computer science and engineering alumnus ('96) and an early Facebook engineer, which led to the institute being named in his honor. Since that time, HDSI has been a world leader in establishing the scientific foundations of the field of data science, developing new methods and infrastructure, and training students and partners to use data science to address pressing global problems. HDSI serves as a hub for data science and AI advances across the entirety of UC San Diego academics and with the national and international research community to accelerate discovery in every field of inquiry and drive real-world impact. HDSI's new Director will be a strategic, transformative leader with a compelling vision for the future of areas of data sciences, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cyberinfrastructure, and the applications and services that enable researchers to make full use of leading-edge, world-class resources to advance human knowledge, health, and well-being. The successful candidate will be someone who combines this breadth of vision with effective leadership and management as demonstrated by a solid prior track record. To be successful, the Director will address the following opportunities and challenges, outlined further below: * Create a vision for HDSI that charts the path ahead toward the future of data science at UC San Diego. ABOUT HDSI As an institute, HDSI was built upon three foundational goals: transcending department and divisional boundaries to train talent for the transdisciplinary domain, catalyzing research in data science across campus, and building a data science ecosystem of researchers and practitioners working closely with industry partners. HDSI is a campus hub for Data Science that has emerged as a strong interdisciplinary academic department with students earning degrees in data science programs include BS, MS and PhD in Data Science, as well as joint degree programs including BS in AI, Master of Data Science (online), and Master of Advanced Studies in Data Science and Engineering. In addition, the Institute is readying plans to offer new joint degree programs in Business Analysis as well as MS in Data Science for the Physicians (MD-MS). ABOUT HALICIOLU SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE AND COMPUTING Rajesh K. Gupta serves as the Dean as well as Distinguished Professor of CSE and Data Science at UC San Diego. Professor Gupta's research is in embedded and cyber-physical systems with a focus on sensor data organization and its use in optimization and analytics. SAN DIEGO SUPERCOMPUTER CENTER (SDSC) Frank Wurthwein is the Director of SDSC. He holds faculty appointments at UC San Diego in the Physics Department and HDSI. His research focuses on globally distributed computing and data systems (e.g., OSG, NRP, OSDF), experimental particle physics, and distributed high-throughput computing. ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR OF HDSI KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE DIRECTOR *Create a vision for HDSI that charts the path ahead toward the future of data science at UC San Diego. HDSI has quickly launched as a hub of data science to the broader campus by bringing together leading scholars and researchers in the field. The organization is in a transitional phase, moving from its founding to a first-of-its-kind academic department and a campus-wide institute. In consultation with the HDSI faculty, the Dean of the Halcolu School of Data Science and Computing, and campus leadership, the Director will build on the established success of HDSI by developing a vision and establishing priorities for its future that are mutually beneficial to HDSI, the Halcolu School of Data Science and Computing, UC San Diego, the UC system, and the broader international field of data science. The Director will provide intellectual and administrative leadership by articulating and implementing a vision that builds on HDSI's research and academic efforts. This will involve evaluating and redesigning operational and administrative structures for HDSI to ensure the organization is primed for success. Leading a unit in start-up mode will require the Director to be comfortable navigating ambiguity while managing conflicting advice to build consensus among key stakeholders that positions HDSI as a connector, innovator, and leader to the campus and beyond. *Recruit, retain, and develop a world-class faculty and staff. Central to the mission of HDSI is the excellent faculty and staff who advance the institute toward fulfilling its goals. The Director will serve as the chief attractor of talent, strengthening HDSI's faculty and staff, while also growing its research base across innovative growth areas in the field. HDSI's combined departmental budget and endowment funding enable interdisciplinary research groups and operational research staff not typically available in standard departments. Given the interdisciplinary nature of HDSI, the Director will identify, proactively explore, and build research teams and projects that respond to prominent calls and opportunities offered by various related research funding organizations. This will require the Director to oversee HDSI's staffing and operations, while being strategic and fiscally responsible for the hiring of faculty and staff to advance its pursuits. The Director will also invest in retention efforts and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, including supporting junior faculty in tenure and promotion. A critical component of HDSI includes its culture, which the Director must maintain in an inclusive environment that supports the development of a talented and ambitious faculty and staff. *Promote and champion interdisciplinary partnerships across HDSI and throughout UC San Diego. HDSI is positioned as a hub that integrates with other units through joint appointments, shared programs, and collaborative research initiatives, which have been foundational to the institute's success as a bridge across campus in data science. The Director will continue supporting these efforts by consulting and collaborating with campus academic leaders in areas of mutual interest and on major new undertakings and investments that will further enhance UC San Diego's deployment of innovative data science infrastructure, resources, techniques, and services to advance its mission. As a leading spokesperson for data science research infrastructure and collaboration, the Director will engage those on campus, within the UC System, and beyond, in supporting a novel approach to advancing data science research and academic programs. This will require the Director to take on a campus-wide role, not just a departmental one, by focusing on cross-unit influence and coordination. *Build and scale academic programs in data science. HDSI offers students the opportunity to earn degrees in data science at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As the demand for data science degrees continues to grow, the Director will ensure HDSI remains proactive and responsive to these needs by building interdisciplinary academic programs. This is a rare opportunity to define new academic programs, research structures, and long-term institutional models that could scale into multiple national institutes for HDSI. The Director will advise on activities that add to the financial strength of HDSI, including devising and operating executive training and certification programs. In turn, these programs will drive undergraduate and graduate enrollment for HDSI. Given UC San Diego's culture of interdisciplinarity, HDSI will better position the university in fulfilling its research and academic goals. *Promote, develop, and lead external partnerships to expand the impact of HDSI and generate philanthropic support. The Director will serve as the leading voice of HDSI in national and international forums, educating and enlightening audiences about the exciting work advancing the field of data science. The Director will engage and partner with public and private organizations, including industry and research labs, providing them with the opportunity to support, define, and fund new research, educational, and community engagement activities consistent with HDSI's mission. As a spokesperson for HDSI, the Director will lead fundraising efforts and seek to establish connections as a means to create new opportunities for faculty, students, and staff, and increase revenue streams for the unit. To be successful, the Director will partner with the Dean of the Halcolu School of Data Science and Computing to ensure alignment between the goals of both units when engaging external partners to support the broader vision of data science at UC San Diego. The successful applicant will be appointed to a tenured full professorship in HDSI. Upon completion of their tenure as Institute Director, which is for an initial period of three years with the possibility of up to two renewals, the position will revert to that of a professor. Department: https://datascience.ucsd.edu School: https://hsdsc.ucsd.edu Qualifications Basic qualifications
(required at time of application)
*Distinction as a researcher in a field relevant to HDSI's mission, and a distinguished record of innovations in and contributions to that field. *Accomplishments in education or in training that are suitable for a tenured appointment at a campus of the University of California. *A widely recognized record of leadership in areas of data science pertinent to a research, development, and service enterprise whose programs span the scientific foundations of data science and an expanding array of applied domains such as climate and the natural environment, health and medicine, economics and society, public policy, and all other areas of human life and well-being. Preferred qualifications
* Demonstrated integrity, fairness, candor, selflessness, and the highest ethical standards. *A commitment to and success in advancing organizational priorities related to equity, diversity, and inclusion that will be manifest in experience working with diverse communities, creating an inclusive culture, and integrating practices and programs that foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in the core priorities of a technically and scientifically focused enterprise. *Broadly recognized national and/or international stature in a relevant field. *Leadership skills for team building and for accomplishing successful collaborative programs and projects. *Management skills to direct a large, complex, and swiftly evolving organization, including evidence-based decision-making and process-improvement experience. *Extensive track record of industry engagement and ability to raise funds. *The ability to communicate and interact effectively with faculty, administrators, and staff at UC San Diego, across the UC System, and with other U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and industrial organizations. Application Requirements Document requirements
Reference requirements
References will only be contacted at the hiring stage, upon authorization from the applicant. Apply link: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04426 Help contact: sford@ucsd.edu About UC San Diego The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. As a university employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements. The University of California prohibits smoking and tobacco use at all of its university-controlled properties. The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at:https://www.police.ucsd.edu/docs/annualclery.pdf. This report provides crime and fire statistics, as well as institutional policy statements & procedures. Contact the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4361 if you want to obtain paper copies of this report. As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer. * "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. Job location San Diego, CA
| |