(Hybrid) Data Analyst - WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health

The Institute for Community and Rural Health at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a (Hybrid) Data Analyst.

About the Opportunity

The Data Analyst supports data management, research, program evaluation, and grant reporting across the Institute for Community and Rural Health. Working with faculty, program managers, and community partners, this position manages data from collection through analysis, reporting, and archiving. The analyst ensures that project data are accurate, secure, well documented, and usable for program improvement, research, and funding proposals. Projects may include rural health, Food is Medicine, healthcare access, workforce development, and local food systems.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Data Management and Quality
  • Develop and maintain project data management plans covering collection, storage, access, quality assurance, sharing, retention, and archiving.
  • Build and maintain databases, electronic data collection forms, data dictionaries, codebooks, and standard operating procedures.
  • Establish consistent variable definitions, naming conventions, participant and site identifiers, and file organization across projects.
  • Coordinate data submissions from project teams and partners, including submission schedules, required formats, secure transfers, and correction of incomplete records.
  • Integrate and reconcile data from surveys, program records, clinical partners, and public datasets while documenting sources and transformations.
  • Conduct routine quality checks for missing values, duplicate records, inconsistencies, and outliers; maintain records of issues and their resolution.
  • Prepare and maintain analysis-ready datasets, tracking versions and preserving source data and reproducible processing steps.
  • Coordinate with authorized university teams to implement appropriate access permissions, secure storage, backups, and recovery procedures.
  • Prepare de-identified datasets and support authorized data sharing consistent with approved protocols and data-use agreements.
  • Maintain documentation needed for monitoring, audits, staff transitions, and project closeout.
• Analysis, Evaluation, and Reporting
  • Conduct descriptive statistics, trend analyses, and comparisons of program participation, service delivery, costs, reach, and outcomes.
  • Support study design, measure selection, and statistical analyses in collaboration with faculty investigators and evaluation leads.
  • Create dashboards, visualizations, tables, and concise reports for faculty, program managers, funders, and community partners.
  • Track performance measures and prepare accurate, timely data summaries for grant reporting and project reviews.
  • Interpret findings with project teams, clearly explaining limitations and implications for program improvement.
  • Contribute analytical methods, tables, and findings to manuscripts, presentations, and funding proposals.
• Collaboration and Training
  • Work with faculty and program managers to establish data requirements, responsibilities, and reporting timelines.
  • Train staff, students, and partners on data collection tools, entry procedures, quality standards, and secure handling.
  • Follow applicable university requirements, approved research protocols, data-use agreements, and privacy and security procedures.

• Bachelor's degree in statistics, data analytics, public health, epidemiology, economics, computer science, or a related field.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience in the following:
  • Experience collecting, managing, cleaning, analyzing, and reporting quantitative data.
  • Experience developing or maintaining databases, data documentation, and quality assurance procedures.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficiency in Excel and at least one analytical programming or statistical software package, such as R, Python, SAS, or Stata.
• Understanding of descriptive statistics, data visualization, and secure data handling.
• Ability to explain findings clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage deadlines across multiple projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience with public health research, program evaluation, rural health, or grant-funded initiatives.
• Experience with SQL, REDCap, Power BI, Tableau, or GIS.
• Familiarity with relational databases, automated data processing, and version control.
• Experience managing longitudinal or multisite datasets and working with sensitive health or participant information.
• Experience supporting research manuscripts, funding proposals, or funder reports.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.