{"id":3425406,"url":"https://alion.io/job/scsp-program-scientist-polymaths","title":"Program Scientist, Polymaths","company":{"id":1779020,"name":"SCSP","domain":"scsp.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/scsp-ai","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":90,"open_postings":13,"ghost_share":0.077,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":122,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Baltimore, United States","New York, United States","Arlington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":200000,"max":225000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":225000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-20T18:13:28Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T10:21:58Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":13,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":13},"description":"About the Science Systems Center\nScience Systems strengthens the technical and academic systems underlying scientific discovery through the support of people, tools, and technology. Its programs remove specific barriers researchers face, from crossing disciplines at critical career stages to accessing high-quality software and using AI effectively, and increasingly work to scale the practices and institutional models that help ambitious research thrive. The Center's portfolio includes the Schmidt Science Fellows, Schmidt Science Polymaths, the AI in Science Fellowship, the Virtual Institute for Scientific Software, Science Communications, and the Israeli Women's Postdoctoral Award.\nAbout the Polymaths Program\nSchmidt Science Polymaths supports recently tenured researchers moving into substantively new lines of inquiry. Each Polymath receives $500,000 per year for up to five years, paid through their institution. The award is deliberately flexible, giving researchers room for high-risk, curiosity-driven work that conventional funding rarely reaches.\nThe program now supports 43 Polymaths at 31 institutions across 9 nations, working in mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, engineering, and beyond. Its ambition extends past the individual awards, to shift what the wider research ecosystem treats as possible and worth doing by recognizing and backing this kind of intellectual risk.\nWith its first cohort now completing their awards, the program is entering its next phase, building an alumni community and extending its influence on how the research system supports ambitious work across disciplines.\nThe Role\nReporting to the Director of the Science Systems Center, the Program Scientist will lead the Schmidt Science Polymaths program, including its strategy, selection process, relationships with awardees and their institutions, and growing alumni community.\nImpact in this role comes from enabling other people's science. It rewards someone who can read across disciplines, judge whether a researcher is genuinely moving into new research areas, hold candid conversations with mid-career and senior academics about their own work, and build the structures that let a program of this kind demonstrate what it achieves.\nThis is a hands-on leadership role. The Program Scientist sets direction and also runs the work: overseeing the selection cycle and participating in it, assessing annual reports, meeting Polymaths, shaping mid-cycle and end-of-award reviews, and preparing the analysis and recommendations behind award decisions.\nKey Responsibilities\nStrategic Leadership\nDevelop and propose adjustments and evolutions to the program's strategy and direction, in partnership with the Director of the Science Systems Center.\nReview and refine the selection process each year, including new tools and approaches.\nDevelop the program’s convening and community strategy, including the cadence and agendas of convenings and opportunities for engagement across cohorts and with other Schmidt Sciences programs.\nDevelop approaches for assessing Polymaths’ progress and program impact.\nProgram Operations and Management\nLead the Polymaths program team, setting priorities, running regular team meetings, and coordinating work across selection, award administration, awardee engagement, and convenings.\nSet the cadence and timing of the program’s annual cycle, including selection, awardee start dates, reporting, and check-in meetings.\nServe as the scientific lead for the annual selection cycle, including reviewing and approving nominating partners, synthesizing reviews at each stage, recommending which candidates advance and which are proposed as awardees, and presenting those recommendations internally.\nProgram Development and Evaluation\nServe as the primary point of contact for Polymaths, leading regular check-ins and supporting them through the course of their awards.\nIdentify and recruit external reviewers and advisors for selection, mid-cycle, and end-of-award reviews.\nReview annual reports and prepare analysis and recommendations on award continuations.\nLead mid-cycle reviews.\nDesign and lead the program’s end-of-award process, including final reviews, the transition to alumni status, and any follow-on support.\nBuild continuing relationships with alumni.\nExternal Engagement and Ecosystem Building\nStrengthen the program's external profile and engagement with the broader research community.\nWork with Polymaths’ home institutions on award arrangements and institutional support.\nParticipate in relevant academic conferences and events, representing Schmidt Sciences' presence on issues related to interdisciplinary research and research careers.\nSchmidt Sciences Support\nWork with other members of the Schmidt Sciences team to drive organizational priorities and model our values.\nCollaborate with other Science Systems programs, particularly Schmidt Science Fellows, on shared questions of interdisciplinary research and research careers.\nContribute to the overall priorities of the Science Systems portfolio.\nRequired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities\nA PhD in science, mathematics, engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.\nAt least 8 years of experience following the PhD in academia, government, industry, philanthropy, or research organizations.\nDemonstrated track record of scientific accomplishments, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, patents, successful grant applications, or contributions to innovative research projects.\nScientific breadth and the ability to evaluate research across disciplines, including judging whether a researcher is moving into substantively new areas.\nAbility to critically evaluate proposals, reports, and other opportunities.\nExperience building relationships with mid-career and senior academics, administrators, and research institutions, and the judgment to hold candid conversations about research progress.\nStrong understanding of how research universities operate, including the incentives and barriers that influence research careers.\nExperience producing writing for expert and general audiences.\nDemonstrated ability to collaborate and a record of impact in high-intensity, team-based environments.\nThe highest integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality.\nBe based on-site in New York, and be able to travel within the U.S. and internationally on a regular basis as needed.\nPreferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities\nInterdisciplinary research experience, or a career that has itself moved between fields or institutions.\nExperience in research program management, grantmaking, or research administration.\nExperience designing or running review, evaluation, or impact-assessment processes.\nExperience with fellowship or award programs for researchers, including selection.\nExperience organizing convenings or building research 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