Research Analyst

Earth Day; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Earth Day is seeking a data analyst based in Madison, Wisconsin to support applied research and development of population metrics from Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data. The role involves processing and analyzing data, assisting with statistical analysis, and developing automation for research products.

The ideal candidate will be proficient in SQL and R, with responsibilities including data processing, conducting analyses, and improving workflows through automation. This is a great opportunity to contribute to wildlife management efforts in Wisconsin.

Qualifications

• Experience with writing SQL queries and R code.
• Understanding of statistical analysis and modeling.
• Ability to process and analyze large datasets.

Responsibilities

• Process and analyze Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data.
• Assist with statistical analyses and model development.
• Develop automation procedures for wildlife research products.

Skills

SQL queries

R programming

Statistical analysis

Data processing

Tools

Oracle database

R functions

Job description

This position will support applied research and development of population metrics from Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data to inform management of deer, turkeys, and other Wisconsin wildlife species. The position will process and analyze Snapshot Wisconsin detection data working towards finalizing years of data. This incumbent of this position is expected to write custom SQL queries, write and annotate R code, fill data requests, and implement automated processing of research products whenever possible. This person will assist in running statistical analyses and models and assessing model results. This position works under general supervision and will be based out of Madison, WI.

50% Processing, documenting, sharing, troubleshooting, and finalizing trail camera detection data

• Pull and process Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data from an Oracle database and using custom SQL queries and R functions
• Fill data requests that come in from volunteers, students, researchers, and DNR employees
• Contribute to user acceptance testing of Oracle database changes that fix bugs or add features
• Contribute to custom R packages for data analysis, especially adding documentation and new functions
• Support Snapshot Team needs related to fixing and streamlining code and script
• Assess data quality and identify inconsistencies in data that require further assessment
• Identify and implement solutions to finalize annual Snapshot Wisconsin datasets

20% Assistance with statistical analysis and model development

• Assess patterns in data to separate noise (e.g., sampling issues, classification differences, detection differences) from abundance trends
• Analyze trail camera data using a range of statistics and models that include covariates
• Analyze trail camera data using models that include covariates and assess model fit and predictions
• Visualize statistics and model predictions spatially and temporally

20% Automation development for annual wildlife research products

• Critique existing workflows to identify steps that could be improved with automation
• Develop and implement new procedures that increase automation and reduce manual processing
• Fully document processes to improve usability annually and for similar applications

10% Other duties as assigned