College Statistician

Faculty Equivalent Academic Professional Position

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University

Position:  Twelve-month Faculty Equivalent Academic Professional Position. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Qualifications:  Ph.D. in a statistics field relevant to a college of agriculture, natural resources, and design, or MS plus two years of relevant professional experience.  Successful candidate will: demonstrate excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills; have the ability to work across multiple disciplines; be able to provide statistical support for abstract, manuscript, and grant publication; work with multiple researchers; demonstrate proficiency in R, SAS, and/or SPSS; identify and prioritize opportunities for study design improvement and data analysis; and communicate statistical results and implications both verbally and in writing to a broad range of clients.

Duties and Responsibilities: Serve as the primary statistician for the College. In this role you will facilitate the transfer of statistical methodologies and experimental design to Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design (DCANRD) faculty, staff, and student researchers; address statistical aspects of survey, laboratory, greenhouse and field trials; work well with biological, environmental, and social scientists; provide training and experience for DCANRD students who are conducting thesis and dissertation research; provide evaluation and advice as needed on appropriate and innovative statistical methodologies; report results of statistical analyses; develop sampling designs and plan data collection methods for specific projects, and determine the types and sizes of sample groups to be used; identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research; analyze and interpret statistical data; evaluate statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy; and work and collaborate with other University statisticians and biometricians.

Opportunities: While routine statistical assistance will be expected without special acknowledgment, more elaborate involvement with statistical design and analysis may result in publication co-authorship when agreed on in advance with cooperating faculty. Opportunities exist for teaching undergraduate or graduate courses in statistical methods and for professional development, including working towards an additional graduate degree.

Institution: The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design with 108 faculty and 150 full-time staff, enrolls 1800 undergraduate and 250 graduate students across a full spectrum of degree programs (37) housed in five academic divisions:  Animal and Nutritional Sciences, Design and Merchandising, Forestry and Natural Resources, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Resource Management. The West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station manages the research facilities of the College, including multiple farms and forests. The College’s research funding has more than doubled over the last five years. Candidate will report to the Associate Dean for Research and work in a research team that includes the associate dean, assistant dean, a grant writer, and a research support specialist.

Application:  Applicants should submit the following materials:

• letter of interest with statement of qualifications for the position;
• curriculum vitae and copy of transcripts (unofficial copy is acceptable);
• names of three references including address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Review of applications will begin March 1, 2013 and continue until the position is filled.  The application letter and materials should be sent to:

Professor Tim Phipps, Associate Dean for Research

Chair Recruitment Committee

West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6108

Morgantown, WV 26506-6108

Inquiries may be directed to:  tim.phipps@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-4421

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.