Non-Exempt Temporary or Casual

This is a research position within a laboratory at the interface of virology, microbial ecology and mucosal immunology studying mechanisms by which respiratory viruses like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cause disease in humans.

The position offers the opportunity to interact with physician-scientists and public health and develop skills in a variety of research techniques, experimental approaches and research questions relevant to human health, including primary human cell culture, molecular virology and analysis of multiomics data.

Responsibilities
Data Management and Analysis (40%)

• Clean, organize, and analyze diverse datasets, including study participant demographics, clinical characteristics, microbiome profiles, and viral sequence data.
• Conduct statistical and epidemiologic analyses to explore associations between microbial or viral features and participant outcomes.
• Ensure data integrity and reproducibility through careful documentation and version control.

Data Visualization and Reporting (25%)

• Develop high-quality visualizations and dashboards (e.g., using R, ggplot2, Shiny, or Quarto) to summarize key findings.
• Generate descriptive summaries of participant characteristics, microbial diversity metrics, and genomic features.
• Prepare reports, figures, and tables for manuscripts, presentations, and public health partners.

Collaborative Research and Interpretation (20%)

• Work with epidemiologists, bioinformaticians, and laboratory scientists to interpret analytic results in the context of study objectives.
• Participate in team meetings to discuss data quality, study design, and preliminary findings.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and grant proposals.

Data Quality Assurance and Documentation (10%)

• Maintain clear, organized, and reproducible analytic workflows.
• Perform routine checks for data consistency, completeness, and accuracy.
• Support data harmonization and integration across multiple projects or sources.

Professional Development and Other Duties (5%)

• Stay current with emerging analytic methods, tools, and literature in microbiome epidemiology and viral genomics.
• Contribute to the development of new analytic pipelines or visualization tools as needed.
  
  

All required qualifications must be included in the application materials

Required:

• Bachelor's degree with a major or minor in a biomedical science (Microbiology, Biochemistry, etc) or an equivalent combination of education and relevant research experience to equal six years.
• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in epidemiologic or public health data analysis
• Familiarity with analytic tools or programming languages (e.g., R, Python, SQL, SAS).
• Strong understanding of epidemiologic methods, study design, and principles of disease surveillance and outbreak investigation.
• Experience developing and interpreting data visualizations and dashboards.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, epidemiologists, and public health practitioners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred:

• Experience working directly with health department surveillance systems, laboratory data, or electronic health record data.
• Experience using version control (e.g., Git/GitHub) and/or workflow management tools (e.g., R Markdown, Quarto).

Pay Range: $26.00 per hour depending on education/qualifications/experience.

Retirement plan options are available for Civil Service, Faculty, Labor-Represented, Professional & Administrative, and Temp Casual classifications. Learn more about retirement plans.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).