Professional Data Analyst/Statistician

Hiring Organization: Department of Forestry Michigan State University
Employment type: Full-Time
Job Location: E. Lansing, MI
Application Due Date: August 30, 2026

Position description: We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented data analyst/statistician to support the Northern Hardwoods Resilience Project. This large-scale, multi-agency project, funded by the U.S. Forest Service, evaluates the current state of northern hardwood forests across the U.S. and Canada and examines how management practices and environmental factors influence their sustainability and resilience. The successful candidate will work closely with researchers and collaborators to prepare, summarize, and analyze large forest inventory and spatial datasets. This position is well suited for a person with strong quantitative skills who enjoys solving applied ecological and natural-resource questions.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Clean, organize, and process datasets for analysis
Conduct statistical and spatial analyses
Prepare maps, figures, tables, and summary statistics for presentations and manuscripts
Maintain clear documentation of data sources, analytical decisions, and code
Contribute to other project-related data analysis tasks as needed

Required Qualifications:

Master’s degree in statistics, data science, forestry, natural resources, or a related field
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Experience managing, cleaning, and organizing large and complex datasets
Experience with statistical modeling, including mixed-effects, multivariate, or spatial analyses
Experience using R, JMP, ArcGIS, or comparable statistical and geospatial software
Ability to work independently and meet project deadlines
Strong organizational, technical writing, and communication skills
Attention to detail and commitment to producing well-documented, reproducible outputs

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience working with FIA or similar forest inventory datasets
Experience identifying, evaluating, and integrating relevant publicly available datasets to support research questions and analyses
Experience with mapping or GIS
Experience contributing to scientific reports, presentations, or peer-reviewed manuscripts

Compensation: Pay starts at $30/hour depending on skills and experience. Flexible, self-managed schedule averaging 40 hours/week.

Time Frame: Expectation is nine-month assignment beginning in October 2026 with potential for extension.

Working Conditions: The work will be in a typical office setting. Computer will be provided.

Location: Work will be based at the Department of Forestry on MSU’s East Lansing, Michigan campus. Remote work is possible following the training period.

To Apply: Apply via https://careers.msu.edu/ Job #1150984. Submit a current resume/CV, a cover letter describing fit for the position, and contact information (email and phone number) for one professional references.

Deadline: Applications will be considered until August 30, 2026, or until the position has been filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Feel free to email Claudia Bartlick at bartlick@msu.edu with questions.

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