Data-Driven EnviroLab Temporary Research Specialist/Data Analyst

Posting Information

Posting Information

Department UNC Inst for the Environment - 635200 Career Area Research Professionals Posting Open Date 09/30/2026 Application Deadline 10/21/2026 Position Type Temporary Staff (SHRA) Position Title Data-Driven EnviroLab Temporary Research Specialist/Data Analyst Position Number 20078850 Vacancy ID S028109 Full-time/Part-time Full-Time Temporary Hours per week 40 Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM; times may vary

Position Location North Carolina, US Hiring Range $22.00 - $25.00 per hour Proposed Start Date 11/02/2026 Estimated Duration of Appointment 6 months or longer

Position Information

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Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) has a multifaceted mission: (1) To strengthen environmental research capacity across UNC by supporting a multi-disciplinary community of scholars that enhances collaboration, increases sharing of knowledge, and identifies solutions to the world's critical environmental problems. (2) To work in partnership across UNC and with external partners to coordinate and deliver 21st century educational programs that provide students with the experience and skills to thrive in a growing global economy. (3) To put new environmental knowledge into action by engaging and serving communities, here in North Carolina and around the world. (4) To fuel and harness the university's sustainability activities through the Sustainable Carolina Initiative

Position Summary

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location, consistent with System Office policy. UNC Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

The Data-Driven EnviroLab (DDL) at UNC-Chapel Hill seeks a Research Specialist with a data science focus to support interdisciplinary research on environmental, climate, energy, and sustainability issues. The position will work across projects that use large and heterogeneous datasets to understand environmental and policy challenges, develop reproducible analytical workflows, and translate research findings into accessible tools and outputs for researchers, policymakers, and the public.

This Data Scientist/Research Specialist position is ideal for recent BS/BA or Master's graduates and early-career professionals interested in strengthening their applied research skills, including those considering doctoral study. The candidate will use R and/or Python to collect, clean, integrate, manage, and analyze data from multiple sources; apply quantitative, statistical, and, where relevant, geospatial methods; and contribute to data products, visualizations, and research outputs.

Working with an interdisciplinary team spanning data science/statistics, computer science, climate policy, law, and social science, the candidate may contribute to projects that:

• Develop and maintain research datasets by integrating administrative, web, geospatial, policy, and other public or proprietary data sources, with attention to data quality, documentation, and reproducibility.
• Build and maintain data pipelines using APIs, web scraping, automated collection, cleaning, classification, and validation methods.
• Conduct quantitative, statistical, and geospatial analyses to study environmental, economic, health, and policy questions; depending on the project, methods may include regression, panel-data analysis, machine learning, and spatial analysis.
• Create dashboards, visualizations, and other data products that translate complex datasets and findings into accessible information for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• Contribute to research reports, academic publications, presentations, and other outputs produced by the interdisciplinary team.

One current application of this work is DDL's U.S. Data Center Dashboard, which tracks data center facilities and state and local policies related to data center development and may expand to incorporate community awareness and responses. In this project, the Research Specialist may help develop and validate facility and policy datasets, analyze environmental, health, economic, and policy implications, and support continued dashboard development. The position may also contribute to other DDL research projects as needs evolve.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Management Preferences

• Coursework in Computer Science, Statistics, Data Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Geography, Public Policy, or another quantitative or computational field
• Strong programming skills in R or Python with experience working with large or complex datasets, including data cleaning, merging, quality assurance, documentation, or reproducible workflows
• Experience with quantitative or statistical analysis (e.g., regression, panel-data analysis, machine learning) or geospatial analysis (e.g., geographic coordinates, vector or raster data, spatial joins)
• Experience with research data tools or workflows such as Git/GitHub, APIs, web scraping, databases, or automated data collection.
• Ability to communicate technical findings clearly in an nterdisciplinary team

Special Physical/Mental Requirements Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Not Applicable.

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Posting Contact Information

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Optional and Required Documents

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

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