Part-Time Strategic Market Research Support

The Pennsylvania State University; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 27,552 - 41,328; Part time

Job summary

Penn State University's Office of Research Marketing & Communications is seeking a part-time market research assistant to support strategy development for OSVPR units. The role involves market research, data analysis, and summarizing findings for university administration, with flexibility for remote or on-site work.

The ideal candidate will have a background in market research or business analytics, be comfortable with open data sources, and be able to work 10-20 hours per week within standard

Qualifications

• Experience in market research and data analysis to inform strategy.
• Ability to summarize findings into concise written reports for university administration.
• Understanding of open source data collection and basic analytics workflows.

Responsibilities

• Conduct market research and industry sector analysis.
• Perform ROI and risk analyses relevant to research strategies.
• Identify key data sources and collect/analyze trends (SWOT included).
• Summarize findings and produce reports for leadership.

Skills

Market research

Data analysis

SWOT analysis

Microsoft Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The Office of Research Marketing & Communications within OSVPR (Office of the Senior Vice President for Research) is seeking a strong market research part‑time employee to work approximately 10-20 hours per week helping to support key research for strategies within several of the OSVPR units.

Key Areas of Market Research

• Sector opportunities for business‑development marketing
• Benchmarking with peer institutions to inform research strategies
• Data analysis to inform industry partnerships strategies
• Development of baseline data for analytics strategies

Duties and Responsibilities

• Market research
• Industry sector analysis
• ROI and risk analysis
• Identification of key data sources
• Collecting and analyzing data for trends (including SWOT analysis)
• Determining alignment with university strategies, strengths and competencies
• Summarizing findings to produce reports

This position requires an understanding of market research and open source data collection and analysis using standard digital platforms, as well as the Microsoft suite of applications, and existing Penn State data platforms.

The position involves summarizing and distilling findings from a large amount of information into concise written products tailored to a university administration audience.

Ideal Candidate Background

• Background in market research, business analytics, SWOT analyses, business, or a related field.

Must have US Citizenship.

Understanding of the U.S. university research landscape and federal funding environment is a plus.

This is a remote (or on‑site) position with opportunities for local hires to join in‑person meetings and team gatherings.

Candidates should plan to be available for meetings during business hours (8-5, M-F), but a bulk of the work can be completed on a flexible schedule.

The candidate should be self‑directed with an ability to organize and prioritize their work to meet established deadlines.

Expected hours per week are 10-20.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

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

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.

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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