Technical Lead and Lab Manager

RSCH DATA ANL 2 (006256)

UCPath Position ID: TBD_2633

Position Description History/Status

Approved Date:

3/6/2025 5:27:43 PM

Date Last Edited:

3/6/2025 5:27:38 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

1300O

Organization:

LETTERS AND SCIENCE

Division Code:

1320D

Division:

L&S HUMANITIES

Department:

064000 - EUROPEAN LANGUAGES/TRANSCULTURAL STUDIES

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

TBD_2633

Position Description ID

232513

UC Payroll Title:

RSCH DATA ANL 2 (006256)

Business Title:

Technical Lead and Lab Manager

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

Grade 21

Job Code FLSA:

Non-Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

99: Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Relations Code:

E: All Others - Not Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

1 - Staff: Contract

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

0.75

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

40058746

Reports to Payroll Title:

PROF-AY (001100)

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40062380

Department Head Payroll Title:

DEPARTMENT CHAIR (001096)

GENERAL SUPERVISION - Indicates that the incumbent develops procedures for performance of variety of duties; or performs complex duties within established policy guidelines.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Technical Lead & Lab Manager plays a critical role in supporting interdisciplinary digital humanities research, with a focus on the ethical application of AI and computational methods to Holocaust and genocide testimonies, as well as the analysis of historical and cultural repositories such as digitized museum collections, digital archives, and historical libraries.

This position oversees research operations, facilitates scalable ML research environments, and improves computational workflows for AI-driven text analysis, phonetic processing, and network visualization. It involves deploying and integrating AI tools into research workflows, ensuring that computational methods are efficient, reproducible, and accessible to interdisciplinary researchers. A key aspect of this role is designing and optimizing ML environments, automating computational workflows, and ensuring high-performance computing accessibility for AI-driven research.

In addition to technical execution, this role involves coordinating research teams through structured workflows and weekly meetings, ensuring clear project milestones, resource allocation, and continuous research momentum. The Technical Lead & Lab Manager also serves as a bridge between faculty, researchers, and students, facilitating seamless onboarding, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration to enhance technical proficiency and computational research capabilities.

Success in this role requires expertise in project management, computing environments, and AI infrastructure deployment, with a focus on streamlining research workflows, optimizing data accessibility, and supporting faculty, researchers, and administrative teams in leveraging computational tools for cultural heritage and digital humanities research.

The Holocaust Research Lab at UCLA:

Our vertically-integrated research team brings together undergraduate and graduate students, research interns, librarians, technology staff, and other faculty interested in such questions. Members of the team have backgrounds in fields such as history, literature, statistics, computer science, linguistics, digital humanities, and art & design.

Digital Humanities research: We apply and develop text analysis tools used in computational linguistics (spaCy and BERT for Natural Language processing), PRAAT and SPEK for phonetic and speech analysis, network visualization and data analysis tools such as Tableau and Neo4j, as well as custom-developed, rule-based algorithms for “semantic triplet” extraction and experimental, machine learning processes for text disambiguation, indexing, and search.

Cultural Heritage and AI research: Our current research investigates how AI (mostly Large Language Models) can be used in ethical and responsible ways to analyze cultural repositories (digitized museum collections and digital archives/libraries). This research includes the use of LLMs to enhance metadata and indexing, create contextual information, and develop knowledge graphs. We are also using LLMs to re-imagine the extraction and characterization of semantic triplets.

Research Project Management & Operational Oversight

A1. Conduct weekly meetings with research teams to define responsibilities, track progress, and ensure alignment with research goals

A2. Maintain structured workflows and tracking systems to manage project priorities, deadlines, and key deliverables

A3. Work with the lab director to coordinate research strategy and allocate resources and team members based on their strengths, expertise, and interests

A4. Lead collaboration between faculty, researchers, and administrative teams to facilitate research execution and ensure seamless coordination

A5. Identify and resolve bottlenecks, structure processes to sustain project momentum, and implement contingency plans for absences or disruptions

20%

Research Work & Data Analysis

B1. Design and execute computational experiments to analyze historical and cultural data, applying techniques like text analysis, pattern extraction, and machine learning to extract insights

B2. Integrate AI tools and advanced computational methods into research workflows, improving data processing efficiency and enhancing accessibility for historical data analysis

B3. Collaborate with researchers to adapt computational methods and ensure reproducibility and scalability, tailoring experiments to meet specific research goals

B4. Contribute to research publications by providing expertise in data analysis, model interpretation, and ensuring thorough documentation of methodologies

B5. Lead the integration of new AI tools into the research process, ensuring ethical application of technology

30%

Technical Infrastructure & Systems Optimization

C1. Design, evaluate, and enhance computing infrastructure for optimal research efficiency and scalability

C2. Develop and maintain containerized ML environments to support reproducibility and scalable workflows

C3. Diagnose and resolve software, network, and computing infrastructure issues to maintain system stability

C4. Define and implement best practices for accessing and utilizing computational resources efficiently

C5. Develop clear, accessible documentation for infrastructure, APIs, and computing environments to support technical and non-technical users

C6. Maintain comprehensive records of system configurations, troubleshooting procedures, and process optimizations to ensure long-term sustainability and scalability

25%

Technical Support & Knowledge Sharing

D1. Serve as the main technical point of contact, ensuring seamless research execution and infrastructure support

D2. Develop structured training programs for researchers, covering HPC access, Linux fundamentals, and ML workflows

D3. Mentor team members to enhance technical problem-solving skills and support independent research execution

D4. Design and implement onboarding processes to ensure smooth integration of new researchers into lab operations

D5. Facilitate clear communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders to align research goals with technical infrastructure capabilities

20%

Grant Development & Proposal Execution

E1. Assist with research-related aspects of grant applications, contributing to the overall project vision and strategy, and providing input on technical feasibility and requirements as needed

E2. Provide input on proposal structure, research methodologies, and infrastructure planning, ensuring alignment with the research goals and approach

E3. Support the preparation of grant-related documentation, ensuring compliance and clarity in all submitted materials

E4. Identify funding opportunities that align with the lab’s research objectives and provide guidance on technical feasibility

E5. Assist in drafting key sections of grant proposals, particularly related to project needs and resource planning

5%

•

Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree

in related area and/or equivalent experience/training

Required

1-3

Expertise in project management, computing environments, and AI infrastructure deployment, with a focus on streamlining research workflows, optimizing data accessibility,

Required

Working knowledge of AI tools and related infrastructure

Required

Working skills in statistical analysis, systems programming, database design, and data security measures

Required

Skills to communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner both verbally and in writing

Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

10745 Dickson Court

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

X

Communication skills

X

X

Numerical skills

X

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.