Research Scientist

This job was posted by https://www.azjobconnection.gov : For more

information, please see: https://www.azjobconnection.gov/jobs/7464522


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r**Research Scientist**

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rNorthern Arizona University

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r****Special Information****

• NAU is currently engaged in transitioning to a new employment
  
  

category called **University Staff**, which aligns the current

• Classified Staff**, **Service Professional**, and
• Administrator** classifications into a single, unified employment
  
  

group. As a result, while this position is currently classified as

• Service Professional**, effective **July 1, 2026**, this position
  
  

will be automatically transitioned to the **University Staff**

category.

• This position is a hybrid position which allows the incumbent to
  
  

complete their work at both an NAU site, campus, or facility and at

a non-centralized site with or without accommodation.

• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The
  
  

incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal

notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.

• Due to a university-wide staff classification transition, the
  
  

expected start date for this position is on or after **July 6,

2026.**

****About the Department/College****

The Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) is a vibrant

research center focused on public health issues impacting local,

regional, and national populations. Our core faculty have a variety of

research foci and manage collaborative, interdisciplinary grants and

foundation projects.

**About the Position**

We are seeking a highly motivated, independent Research Scientist to

join our transdisciplinary team using data-driven approaches to

advancing evidence on child autism services, disparities, and outcomes

in the United States. This position offers the unique opportunity to

collaboratively work at the intersection of public health, social

science, and computational science and make a meaningful difference in

the lives of autistic individuals.

**Responsibilities Include**

50% - Independent Research

• Leads the harmonization and management of and curates large, complex
  
  

datasets from public sources (Medicaid claims data, National Survey

of Children\'s Health, and state Early Intervention programs).

• Develops and implements machine learning models to identify
  
  

patterns, predict outcomes, and generate insights into pediatric

autism services.

• Collaborates with health, social, and data scientists to design
  
  

robust analytical pipelines.

• Applies an analytical approach to the solution of a wide variety of
  
  

problems and applies specialized techniques in selecting and

evaluating approaches to unforeseen or novel problems.

• Designs, performs, and/or oversees experiments and data collection
  
  

to ensure data integrity, quality control, and protocol compliance.

• Maintains currency of knowledge with respect to relevant
  
  

state-of-the-art practices, protocols, technology, equipment, and/or

systems.

20% - Dissemination

• Writes manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Writes abstracts for conference presentation consideration.
• Presents methods and results informally at project team meetings and
  
  

at conferences.

15% - Mentorship

• Mentor students who are working on the project by providing guidance
  
  

on research methods, teaching new skills, and supporting them

throughout their engagement with the project.

10% - Research Administration

• Lead grant writing activities.
• Lead and coordinate project reporting requirements.
  
  

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

**Minimum Qualifications**

• PhD in computer science, statistics, data science, biostatistics,
  
  

computational social science, or a related field.

• 6 year experience in a research or academic role.
• \*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be
  
  

used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.*

**Preferred Qualifications**

• 10 years experience in applied data analytics.
• Experience with cloud computing or high-performance computing.
• Background in public health, developmental disorders, or autism
  
  

research.

• Background in demographic, epidemiologic, or spatial research.
• Project management and reporting experience.
• Peer-reviewed publications as lead or co-author.
  
  

**Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities**

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of relevant research discipline.
• Expert knowledge of research methods, protocols, data collection,
  
  

and analysis.

• Knowledge of proper safety and compliance practices related to the
  
  

conduct of research.

• Interest in understanding autism disparities for children, youth,
  
  

and families.

Skills

May have distinguishing or unique skills related to particular field of

research.

Developing and executing innovative data collection and analysis

practices.