Senior Research Systems Analyst

* This is a full-time, hybrid position. During your 6-month probationary period, you will be required to work on-site for at least 3 days per week at Merit's office location in Ann Arbor, MI. Following, working on-site will be required for a minimum of 2 days per week.

The Senior Research Systems Analyst will play a critical role in Merit's Research and Development team, leading projects in communication networks, network security, and advanced data analytics. You will be the primary bridge between the research and IT teams supporting experiments with researchers, then working with IT to operationalize them within production infrastructure. A key focus will sustain and scale Merit's national-scale network telescope infrastructure, ensuring it remains a world-class research asset that can produce high-value, grant-attracting data.

You will blend technical operations, research collaboration, and administrative oversight to support both ORION Network Telescope - Merit and National Distributed Network Telescope (NDNT) and long-term strategic growth. You will work hands-on with complex systems, perform data collection and analysis, and coordinate efforts to position Merit as a host for a national research asset that creates sustained funding.

Strategic Goals for the Role

• Sustain and scale the Network Telescope infrastructure to ensure reliability, security, and research readiness.
• Increase the volume, quality, and accessibility of grant-attracting datasets.
• Contribute to planning for future Merit research projects.

Essential functions for this position are followed by an (E).

Research Support & Data Management (45%)

• Support internal and external researchers by provisioning and managing user environments, virtual machines, and access credentials. (E)
• Lead the administration, monitoring, and lifecycle management of telescope and research systems in collaboration with IT, ensuring system uptime, data accuracy, and timely response to technical issues. (E)
• Curate and manage large-scale research datasets, ensuring data fidelity, accessibility, documentation quality, and analytical value. (E)
• Support grant-funded research projects and contribute to new funding proposals by identifying opportunities and providing data insights. (E)
• Analyze telescope data