Research Analyst Apprentice

State of Montana•Missoula, MT

25d•Hybrid

About The Position

Launch your data career with hands-on training and mentorship. As a Research Analyst Apprentice, you’ll learn by doing, analyzing data, building dashboards, and helping shape workforce decisions. With guidance from an assigned mentor and experienced team members, you’ll collaborate across teams and build skills that turn insight into impact. If you’re curious, analytical, and ready to grow, apply today and start building your future. The Research Analyst turns complex information into clear, useful insight that supports data-driven decisions for programs, leaders, and stakeholders. Working with data from studies, administrative data systems, and other sources, this role identifies patterns, evaluates reliability, and highlights trends that matter. The analyst organizes and interprets results using tools such as spreadsheets, databases, and statistical software, and then translates findings into reports, charts, and dashboards that are easy to understand. By delivering accurate, meaningful analysis, this position helps shape policy, improve services, and advance workforce outcomes across the organization. Through a structured four‑level apprenticeship, the position blends on‑the‑job learning with a clear evaluation framework, so the apprentice always knows what skills they are building and how they are progressing. Under the guidance of an assigned mentor or supervisor, apprentices hone their data mining and presentation skills, learn to utilize a variety of analytical tools, provide high-quality support and insight, and gain confidence in team collaboration and data management that are essential skills in modern data analytics.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability, through work, education, projects, internships, or other lived experience, to collect, organize, or review information and use it to answer questions, support decisions, or improve processes.
Foundational experience using spreadsheets, databases, or similar tools to enter, manage, organize, or summarize information and produce basic tables, charts, or reports.
Demonstrated ability to learn new tools, processes, and technical concepts and apply that learning in a work, academic, or project setting.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including sharing information, asking questions, explaining work, and responding constructively to feedback.
Experience working in a team setting where priorities may shift and where coordination, reliability, and attention to detail are important.
Curiosity, initiative, and interest in building stronger analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills through training and hands-on experience.
Comfort using computers and standard office software, along with the willingness to develop stronger skills in data, reporting, and document management systems over time.

Nice To Haves

Emerging data analytics and reporting skills: Shows interest and aptitude in learning how to collect, organize, review, and summarize information to support data analysis, reporting, evaluation, and communication of results.
Developing research support abilities: Desire to learn how to contribute to studies, surveys, and other research activities by identifying data sources, applying established methods, and supporting descriptive and evaluative reporting.
Growing collaboration with varied stakeholders: Builds comfort working with technical and nontechnical staff, contributing to team projects, and gradually coordinating across programs, departments, and work units.
Building analytical reasoning and problem solving: Demonstrates potential to interpret information, notice patterns or issues, consider data quality, and apply sound judgment with guidance in support of research and operational decisions.
Learning research reporting and recommendations: Develops the ability to produce clear summaries, charts, reports, and other materials that explain findings, document methods, and contribute to recommendations.
Growth in research design and model development: Progressively gains exposure to and participation in modifying or helping develop data collection methods, statistical models, and research tools as apprenticeship levels advance.
Advancing tools and technology skills: Willingly learns and practices using analytical and operational tools such as Excel, Tableau, RStudio, Snowflake, ServiceNow, and document management systems, building proficiency over time.
Demonstrated adaptability, initiative, and progression mindset: Brings curiosity, responsiveness to feedback, and reliability, showing steady growth in independence and judgment so that by the final apprenticeship level, the incumbent is ready for work distribution and full Research Analyst 1 responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Support data collection efforts by assisting in identifying credible data sources, selecting appropriate data-collection methods, and helping design basic studies or surveys that respond to division and program needs.
Compile and validate data by gathering information from studies, administrative data systems, and other sources; reviewing it for completeness and accuracy; and helping evaluate the reliability of source information, including adjusting raw data as directed.
Conduct basic analyses by organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data using established tools and methods to identify key patterns, differences, trends, or issues that inform decision-making.
Prepare reports and summaries by drafting clear tables, charts, spreadsheets, and written materials that explain methods, findings, limitations, and recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
Develop visual aids by creating or refining graphs, dashboards, infographics, and other presentation materials that help stakeholders quickly understand complex information.
Contribute to research projects by collaborating with staff across teams, coordinating input from multiple sources, and supporting the integration of data into cohesive and useful final products.
Maintain data and documentation by organizing files, datasets, codebooks, and research materials so information can be located, understood, reused, and shared appropriately.
Progress through apprenticeship levels by taking on increasingly complex assignments, learning new tools and systems, and building the knowledge and independence needed to perform at the Research Analyst 1 level within approximately 12–18 months.

Benefits

Work/life balance with hybrid schedules or partial telework may be available within the state of Montana.
38 paid days off a year including vacation, sick leave and holidays.
Military leave: You’ll get up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.
Longevity raises with continuous service, as well as any negotiated market increases and state statutory raises.
Health, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, flexible spending accounts, EAP
Free telehealth and access to free employee medical clinics through our medical plan
Choice between two retirement plans with an employer contribution between 8.73% - 9.07% of your annual salary.
A third optional 457(b) deferred compensation plan is also available.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness!
Career progression, training opportunities and room for professional growth.
State employee discounts at various businesses across the state.
This position may be eligible for a statutory $1.00 an hour base pay increase effective on July 1, 2026.
This position may be covered by a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA)