Technical Assistant II (UMATC)

UMass Amherst•Amherst, NY

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

The technical assistant will provide assistance and support for highway safety research projects through data analysis, technical execution, and development of project deliverables. This is a 4 month appointment; continuation is contingent on funding.

Requirements

Experience in transportation, traffic engineering, human factors, data science, public health, statistics, regulatory, public policy, enforcement or other related field.
Experience conducting data cleaning, validation, and basic statistical analysis.
Ability to interpret data and communicate findings clearly through written reports and visualizations.
Experience working on deliverable based projects.
Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.
Ability to be a self-starter and to carry through assignments with a minimum amount of supervision.
Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as organizational and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with data analysis tools such as SQL, R, Python, Excel, or similar.
Knowledge of specific Program activities.
Ability to coordinate grant funded activities in a university environment.

Responsibilities

Conduct data analysis using transportation safety datasets (e.g., crash, roadway, enforcement, citation data) to support research objectives and reporting needs.
Clean, validate, and prepare datasets for analysis, including quality checks, documentation, and reproducible workflows.
Develop tables, figures, maps, and summaries to support technical reports, presentations, and stakeholder materials.
Draft and contribute to technical reports, white papers, and research briefs, translating analytical results into clear, structured findings.
Support literature reviews and technical scans; summarize findings to inform project tasks and recommendations.
Apply established statistical methods and analytical approaches under the direction of senior research staff.
Assist in the development and application of exposure-based metrics and performance measures for safety analysis.
Utilize SQL and other analytical tools (e.g., R, Python, GIS) to query, manage, and analyze large datasets.
Support GIS-based analysis, including mapping, spatial joins, and visualization of safety data.
Maintain organized documentation of data sources, methodologies, and analytical processes to ensure reproducibility.
Assist with preparation of presentations and materials for meetings, conferences, and stakeholder briefings.
All other duties as assigned.