• Assistant Research Scientist

    Texas A&M University System (College Station, TX)


    Job Title

     

    Assistant Research Scientist

     

    Agency

     

    Texas A&M Agrilife Research

     

    Department

     

    Agricultural Economics

    Proposed Minimum Salary

    $25.00 hourly

     

    Job Location

     

    College Station, Texas

     

    Job Type

     

    Staff

    Job Description

    About the role

     

    We’re seeking a highly organized, quantitatively strong part-time professional to lead project management, data collection, and data analysis across research and outreach projects in agricultural economics. The ideal candidate blends economic training with hands-on project coordination and modern data skills.

    Key responsibilities

    + Data collection & curation: Design and implement data collection strategies (surveys, administrative datasets, remote sensing/third-party APIs); manage IRB and data-use agreements; clean, validate, document, and version datasets.

    + Data analysis & modeling: Conduct descriptive and econometric analyses; develop reproducible code and pipelines; build dashboards/visualizations; contribute to technical reports, manuscripts, and policy briefs.

    + Quality & compliance: Ensure documentation, reproducibility, and code review standards; maintain data security and stewardship best practices.

    + Project management: Build and maintain workplans, timelines, and budgets; coordinate multi-partner teams; track deliverables; run standing meetings; prepare progress reports for sponsors.

    + Stakeholder engagement: Coordinate with producers, agencies, and industry partners; translate results into clear, actionable insights.

    + Other duties as required.

    Required Education and Experience:

    + Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (or very closely related field).

    Preferred Experience:

    + Experience managing sponsored research projects or multi-institution collaborations.

    + Background with one or more of: farm policy & risk management, climate & weather data, geospatial/GIS, TEA/LCA, optimization, or market modeling.

    Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

    + Strong written and verbal communication skills

    + Ability to manage multiple deadlines.

    + Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.

    Preferred qualifications

    + Training in econometrics and quantitative methods in agriculture/food systems.

    + Proficiency in R and/or Python (data wrangling, modeling, visualization).

    + Familiarity with survey design/analysis, experimental or quasi-experimental methods.

    + Experience with SQL, Git/GitHub, and reproducible workflows.

     

    All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

     

    Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.