Scientific Consultant - Part-Time

Job Description And Position Requirements

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS) at Penn State University is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Scientific Consultant (Hours will vary depending on project needs and requested support).

NCEMS is a national resource synthesizing diverse data to gain new insights and understanding of emergent properties in complex molecular and cellular systems. This position will support the scientific research agenda of our Working Groups through interactions with NCEMS Staff Scientists, Postdoctoral Scholars, and Staff Scientist Assistants.

Responsibilities

• Provide on-demand scientific expertise and support to NCEMS, including but not limited to: developing and implementing computational methods for integrating, analyzing, and visualizing molecular and cellular biology data;
• wrangle, harmonize, and standardize biological datasets;
• implement comprehensive quality control and quality assurance protocols to ensure data accuracy, consistency, reliability, and reproducibility;
• provide guidance on bioinformatics and computational biology tools and pipelines;
• support the publication of intermediate data products, code, and documentation;
• develop and maintain analysis pipelines compliant with NCEMS Open Science standards.

Required Qualifications

• Skills: Proficiency in computational and data science methods relevant to advancing NCEMS Working Group research.
• Experience: Current Penn State graduate student with demonstrated expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related data-intensive discipline.
• Attributes: Strong attention to detail, ability to rapidly learn new software tools and databases, and a commitment to providing high-quality scientific support.

Schedule and Compensation

Hours are variable and determined on an as-needed basis in consultation with NCEMS staff. Applications should include a current resume; references can be provided at a later date upon request.

Benefits

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

Pay

Applications should include a current resume; references can be provided at a later date upon request.

Schedule

Hours are variable and determined on an as-needed basis in consultation with NCEMS staff.

Application Instructions

CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

For more information about NCEMS, visit NCEMS Website.