Part-Time Research Assistant - Smeal Research Intelligence (SRI)

The Pennsylvania State University; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 18,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a part-time research assistant in the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems. Work up to 15 hours weekly assisting a Smeal faculty team to build an automated publication pipeline, search tools, and scalable data synthesis features.

Required: enrolled student, strong Python skills, API experience, and familiarity with LLM APIs and embeddings. Compensation starts at $16.00 per hour with background checks.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled Penn State student.
• Strong Python skills, including writing maintainable scripts and working with APIs.
• Experience collecting and cleaning data programmatically (e.g., scraping, publisher/scholarly APIs such as Crossref, Semantic Scholar, or SSRN; handling PDFs and metadata).
• Familiarity with large language model (LLM) APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar) and prompt design.
• Basic understanding of embeddings, vector search, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
• Comfort with Git and basic software testing practices.
• Ability to work independently and document code and processes clearly.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain an automated pipeline that collects Smeal faculty publications and working papers.
• Develop and test search and discovery tools over the repository.
• Support development of synthesis and translation features for faculty, research centers, marketing, and development.
• Test the system with a small pilot collection, then scale to the full collection.

Skills

Python

APIs

LLM APIs

Documentation

Git

Testing

Independent work

Tools

Git

Streamlit

Flask

Crossref API

Semantic Scholar API

SSRN API

OpenAI API

Anthropic API

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems at Penn State University Park invites applications for one part-time research assistant with an anticipated start date in October 2026. The successful candidate will assist a team of Smeal faculty lead by Professor Aydin Alptekinoglu for up to 15 hours per week during the academic semester.

Job Duties:

• Build and maintain an automated pipeline that collects Smeal faculty publications and working papers
• Develop and test search and discovery tools over the repository
• Support development of synthesis and "translation" features for faculty, research centers, marketing, and development
• Test the system with a small pilot collection, then scale to the full collection

Required Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled Penn State student
• Strong Python skills, including writing maintainable scripts and working with application programming interfaces (APIs)
• Experience collecting and cleaning data programmatically (e.g., scraping, working with publisher/scholarly APIs such as Crossref, Semantic Scholar, or SSRN, handling PDFs and metadata)
• Familiarity with large language model (LLM) APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar) and prompt design
• Basic understanding of embeddings, vector search, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
• Comfort with Git and basic software testing practices
• Ability to work independently and document code and processes clearly

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience building a simple web app or dashboard (e.g., Streamlit, Flask, or similar) for search interfaces
• Familiarity with academic publishing and how faculty research is organized (journals, working papers, citation metadata)
• Experience with Digital Measures or similar faculty-activity systems
• Awareness of copyright/paywall and data-privacy considerations when handling publications

Compensation:

Starting rate for this position is $16.00 per hour.

Candidates with questions may contact the department assistant, Autumn Knepp, at [e-mail].

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission.

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