Demo

Principal Investigator

SETI Institute
Mountain View, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/11/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/11/2026
Note: This position in not related to law enforcement or ciminal justice.

Scientists: Please note : In addition to completing the on-line application, applicants are required to submit a cover letter and a CV/resume. A cover letter is required. Please state in your cover letter how your research focus relates to the Drake Equation and to our Mission. Applications submitted without a cover letter and a CV/resume will not be considered.  

Please use this same application to apply to become an affiliate.

 How do I become a Principal Investigator? 
Scientists working in the field of astrobiology can request to have their grants funded through the SETI Institute. If you don’t already have a grant, the Institute can help you propose for one. 

What kind of proposal support is provided? 
To maximize your chances of receiving a grant, we constantly look for proposal opportunities, review their requirements, and alert you early in the application process. In addition, senior staff are available to review your proposals and offer advice to increase your chances of success. 

How am I compensated?
The SETI Institute salaries are competitive with comparable work environments in the Bay Area. Salary levels are based upon work experience, funds available, and other relevant factors. Additionally, the SETI Institute offers a generous benefits package that includes full coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and all dependents, 8% 403(b) retirement contribution (after 1 year of employment), vacation and sick leave away from work, etc. 

What is your indirect cost rate?  
 

The SETI Institute was founded on the belief that indirect costs should be as low as possible in order to allow more resources to be applied to science.  Please contact dkolyer@seti.org for the current rate.”


Where do I work? 
You can work at the Institute’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. Purpose-designed to promote scientific collaboration, this impressive modern space features technology-equipped conference rooms and windowed offices. You can also choose to work at NASA Ames, located a mile from our offices if you have a collaborator there who can help you secure space, or work from your home office or other remote location.  

  

Salary.com Estimation for Principal Investigator in Mountain View, CA
$109,226 to $145,219
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Principal Investigator.

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Compliance Management Skill

    • Income Estimation: $89,787 - $123,354
    • Income Estimation: $97,803 - $128,184
  • Fraud Management Skill

    • Income Estimation: $117,147 - $145,279
    • Income Estimation: $136,272 - $179,755
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Principal Investigator jobs in the Mountain View, CA area that may be a better fit.

  • Insignia Environmental Menlo Park, CA
  • About Insignia Environmental Insignia Environmental (Insignia) is a collaborative, fast-paced growing environmental consulting firm full of bright, motivat... more
  • 16 Days Ago

  • cerebrassystems Sunnyvale, CA
  • Cerebras Systems builds the world's largest AI chip, 56 times larger than GPUs. Our novel wafer-scale architecture provides the AI compute power of dozens ... more
  • 6 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!