Statistician

Location: University Park

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

* CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

* CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

* If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This position is funded for 1 year(s); continuation past 1 year(s) will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Health Policy and Administration at the Penn State College of Health and Human Development in University Park, PA is seeking a Statistician to join a collaborative research team. The candidate will provide essential support by overseeing and advising on a variety of research projects relating to health policy. An important ongoing project relates to the opioid settlement funds in Pennsylvania.

The candidate will serve as the primary point of contact for Principal Investigators (PIs) on day-to-day research activities, and will interact directly with staff, faculty, and internal/external collaborators.

This role will bridge technical statistical analysis with project management to support effective research execution and decision-making.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Management and Statistical Analysis

* Execute research objectives outlined in funded projects in collaboration with the research teams.

* Assist with developing and oversee data management plans across multiple ongoing research projects.

* Perform data cleaning, validation, and statistical analysis using statistical software packages (e.g. R, or SAS) while developing and managing data collection workflows through REDCap or Qualtrics to ensure data integrity and accessibility.

* Interpret complex data to guide decision-making and support the preparation and communication of statistical findings through reports, presentations, written summaries, and data visualizations.

Project Management

* Provide guidance on project planning with PIs. Plan, track, and ensure completion of project milestones and deliverables across multiple research initiatives, including the preparation of scholarly outputs.

* Lead cross-functional coordination between the research teams and external collaborators, aligning partner requirements with research goals and driving shared progress toward agreed-upon project outcomes.

* Develop workflow procedures to prioritize and assign research tasks; manage and organize the timely collection of data related to all research projects.

Collaborative Research Support

* Participate in and contribute to short and long-term planning of activities supporting subsequent grant proposals for department projects.

* Assist with manuscript and abstract submissions and presentations by working collaboratively with PIs and project collaborators.

* Assist PIs with hiring, onboarding, and mentoring part-time wage staff.

* Provide administrative support as needed to PIs.

QUALIFICATIONS

Successful candidates will demonstrate strength across several of the following areas:

* Bachelor's degree in public health, health policy, health services research, public administration, social sciences, or a related field.

* Demonstrated experience supporting or managing research projects in an academic, policy, or applied research setting.

* Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.

* Experience coordinating with diverse stakeholders, including researchers, staff, administrators, and external collaborators.

* Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience supporting manuscript preparation, reports, or other scholarly products.

* Experience with at least one programming language (e.g., Stata, R, or SAS) and one data collection and management platform (e.g., REDCap or Qualtrics).

* Familiarity with research methods and data analysis (quantitative and/or qualitative).

* Experience organizing, managing, and documenting research data and project materials.

* Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented research environment.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree
3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
Required

Certifications:

None

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Master's degree in public health, health policy, health services research, public administration, social sciences, or a related field; or a bachelor's degree plus…