Assistant, Associate, or Full Project Scientist - Public Health

Position Overview

The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego is inviting applications for an Assistant, Associate, or Full Project Scientist in the fields of Health Services Research, Health Policy, and Implementation Science. This role focuses on contributing to NIH- and state-funded projects involving digital health interventions and adaptive behavior change systems, emphasizing computational modeling, data analysis, and intervention optimization.

Institutional Environment

The school specializes in numerous public health domains including Biostatistics, Climate & Environmental Health, Health Equity, Global Health, Health Policy, Public Mental Health, and Technology & Precision Health. It offers several degree programs and maintains extensive collaborations across UC San Diego's schools and external partners. The faculty and staff encompass over 125 primary faculty, 25 secondary faculty, and 150 staff, serving more than 1000 students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The School holds approximately $255 million in awarded grants and contracts.

Role Responsibilities

• Participate in designing, deploying, and evaluating personalized digital health interventions using computational and behavioral science methods.
• Develop and assess scalable digital health platforms and Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI) protocols.
• Engage in recruitment and retention of study participants.
• Apply data science, optimization techniques, AI decision-support systems, and real-world evidence analysis across the intervention lifecycle.
• Contribute to scientific writing, manuscript preparation, grant proposals, and dissemination of research findings.
• Work collaboratively under supervision without formal teaching duties or needing to establish independent research.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or equivalent in a relevant field at application time.
• Minimum of 5 scholarly publications demonstrating experience in professional dissemination.
• At least 3 years of experience delivering professional scientific or educational presentations.
• Possession of 3 or more years of postdoctoral or equivalent experience prior to appointment start.
• Preferred: Expertise in advanced experimental, adaptive, or optimization-based research designs like micro-randomized trials and JITAI, along with strong computational, statistical, machine learning, and mixed-methods skills in digital health contexts.
• Proven track record in scientific writing and peer-reviewed publications related to digital health, behavioral science, or adaptive interventions.

Employment Terms

The salary range is estimated between $80,200 and $129,100 based on the UC academic salary scales for 2026-2027, reflecting rank and experience. Appointment duration varies with project timelines and funding availability.

Application Details

• Applicants must submit a Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter.
• Three references' contact information is required.
• Applications will be reviewed beginning August 6, 2026, with final acceptance by July 21, 2027.

Additional Information

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity. Smoking and tobacco use are prohibited across university properties.
The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is publicly available.
Candidates will need to disclose any recent misconduct or investigations as a condition of employment.
Applicants should review applicable University policies on sexual violence, harassment, and anti-discrimination.