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

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.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, in Hershey, PA, is seeking a Part Time Research Assistant (SAS Programmer). The part-time research assistant will write SAS programming codes for our research projects, which focus on large insurance claims data. This is a part-time position from now till June 2025, with a maximum of 20 hours/week. The work can be carried out remotely, requiring multiple Zoom-based meetings per week. The research assistant will work under the supervision of the PI and co-PIs of the funded projects. Sample SAS codes and virtual meetings will be provided to train the research assistant.

Job duties include but are not limited to:

• Assist with extracting information from the data dictionaries and codebooks
• Assist with literature review to identify relevant analytical methods
• Assist with identifying variables to be used in the program
• Assist with verifying diagnosis, procedure and drug codes used in the program
• Assist with detailing the programming workflow
• Assist with writing programming codes
• Assist with commenting program codes for readability
• Assist with organizing program files and documenting changes across different versions
• Assist with drafting reports

Requirements and Qualifications

• Minimal of bachelor’s degree, master’s in fields focusing on qualitative skills preferred
• Strong SAS programming skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to work under tight timeline
• Ability to learn new programming skills quickly and independently
• Knowledge in pharmacy and pharmaco-economics is a plus
• Highly motivated and detail-oriented
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

The following clearances must be successfully completed for this position:  

• Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check  
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check   

 
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