Research Analyst

Mission: Cultivating environmentally sound, economically viable, community-focused farms and food systems

Position overview: Do you love data and specialize in agriculture, ecology, or soils? Are you passionate about helping farmers? We're seeking a full-time Research Analyst to dig into data to help farmers with their most pressing questions. This analyst will primarily work with datasets generated from our farm-based research studies, Climate-Smart Farming and Marketing program, and Western PA urban farm cohort. The ideal candidate should be eager to work in a collaborative community science research setting with a diverse group of farmers. They should have the desire and ability to gather data in the field in various weather conditions, analyze that data, and convey the results in meaningful ways to various stakeholders and audiences. The Research Analyst will be supervised by the Research Director.

This position entails remote-based work with regular travel, including participation in field-based events, involvement in speaking engagements, and attendance at 2-3 annual in-person staff retreats. All team members are required to attend our yearly Sustainable Agriculture Conference held each February in Lancaster, PA. Residence within Pennsylvania or within a 150-mile radius of Harrisburg is required unless special permission is granted for Philadelphia or Pittsburgh to serve as the primary work location, in which case employees must reside within a one-hour drive from either city. Convenient access to the Harrisburg office for day trips is highly preferred. Any inquiries regarding these requirements are welcome, and adherence to Pasa's remote employee policies is required for all staff members.

Responsibilities

• Work with the research team to collect and organize data.
• Assist in the accurate collection of data, including seasonal fieldwork.
• Provide timely review and analysis of data.
• Contribute to papers, reports, and presentations that are shared with research collaborators and the broader agricultural community.
• Forward Pasa's research projects by using data to develop/uncover new research initiatives and questions.
• Participate in the continual improvement of data collection and refinement of Pasa's existing research projects.
• Communicate results with research collaborators and the broader agricultural community.
• Contribute to grant writing and reporting.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in soil science, biology, agronomy, statistics, or a related field; or comparable experience
• Experience in R, SPSS, or comparable statistical software
• Excellent communication skills. Must be comfortable with public speaking and able to convey technical information to different audiences
• Excellent organizational abilities. Must be capable of ensuring that various streams of data are kept organized, secure, and interpretable
• Commitment to maintaining a supportive, functional, service-oriented workplace.
• Passion for Pasa's mission
• Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice

Preferred qualifications

• PhD in soil science, biology, agronomy, or a related field
• Practical farming experience
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Salesforce, Tableau, or other similar tech tools
• Experience with data visualization, database management, and grant reporting

Compensation: This is a full-time position with an annual salary of $65,000.This is a grant funded position through April of 2028, with potential for extension.

Please read our employee values statement, summary of employee benefits, and employment policy overview before submitting your application.

How to apply: We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice through our hiring practices. This entails reviewing application materials anonymously (without the applicant's name exposed) to help prevent potential unconscious bias. Our application system will automatically anonymize your materials and personally identifying information. There is no specific action required on your part to anonymize your materials when applying. Click the “Apply” button and submit the information requested (e.g. resume, cover letter, and/or portfolio).

Initial interviews will be conducted remotely via Zoom beginning June 12th. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1st.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.