Now Hiring: Data Scientist (Part-Time, 12-Month Contract)
Data Scientist (Part-Time, 12-Month Contract)
Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER)
Remote | 25 hours/month | $50/hour | 12-month contract
About CAER
The Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing science-based ecological remediation for contaminated land, water, and waste. We work at the intersection of environmental toxicology, fungal biotechnology, post-disaster response, brownfield restoration, and environmental justice.
Our projects generate complex, multi-layered datasets used for:
Peer-reviewed scientific publications
Regulatory reporting and compliance
Legal and insurance documentation for disaster-affected communities
Public communication and policy engagement
We are seeking a highly skilled Data Scientist to support advanced analysis and interpretation of integrated environmental datasets.
Position Overview
The Data Scientist will analyze complex, multi-modal datasets integrating:
Soil physical and chemical properties (temporal and spatial variability)
Contaminant concentrations (metals, PFAS, VOCs, SVOCs, TPH, etc.) and their changes
Microbial and fungal community data (including amplicon sequencing datasets)
Plant and fungal growth & performance metrics
Environmental and site variables
Treatment and remediation variables
The role requires strong statistical rigor, the ability to synthesize cross-disciplinary environmental datasets, and experience preparing analyses suitable for publication, regulatory review, and legal documentation.
This is a remote, part-time contract position (25 hours per month for 12 months).
Key Responsibilities
Data Analysis & Modeling
Perform statistical analysis of environmental and ecological datasets
Analyze interactions among biological, chemical, and physical variables
Conduct multivariate analyses (e.g., ordination, PCA, NMDS, PERMANOVA)
Model treatment effects and remediation outcomes
Conduct time-series and spatial analyses where relevant
Work with large datasets, including high-dimensional amplicon data (e.g., ITS, 16S)
Bioinformatics & Microbial Ecology (if applicable)
Support analysis of microbial community datasets
Work with relative abundance, diversity indices, differential abundance testing
Integrate amplicon data with soil chemistry and environmental metadata
Data Management & Coding
Clean, structure, and manage large datasets
Write reproducible analysis scripts
Maintain version-controlled workflows
Support data documentation for regulatory and publication use
Visualization & Figure Creation
Produce publication-quality figures
Generate regulatory-ready tables and graphics
Develop clear visual outputs for science communication and policy audiences
Interpretation & Reporting
Contribute to interpretation of statistical results
Assist in drafting methods and results sections for manuscripts
Prepare data summaries suitable for regulatory, legal, or insurance documentation
Collaborate with the Scientific Director on narrative framing of results
Required Qualifications
PhD in Data Science, Biostatistics, Environmental Science, Ecology, Bioinformatics, or related field
Demonstrated experience analyzing complex environmental or ecological datasets
Strong statistical knowledge and applied modeling experience
Proficiency in R and/or Python
Experience with:
Multivariate statistics
Mixed models
Microbial community analysis
Large dataset management
Ability to produce publication-quality figures
Strong written communication skills
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working with environmental and ecological datasets
Familiarity with regulatory data standards
Experience supporting peer-reviewed publications
Experience with:
Amplicon sequencing workflows
QIIME2, phyloseq, vegan, DESeq2 or similar tools
Spatial analysis (GIS integration)
Understanding of ecological field studies, environmental toxicology or soil science
Contract Details
Duration: 12 months
Hours: 25 hours/month (approx. 6–7 hours/week)
Compensation: $50/hour
Location: Remote
Flexible scheduling with periodic coordination meetings
Ideal Candidate Profile
We are seeking someone who:
Is rigorous and detail-oriented
Understands the high stakes of regulatory and legal data integrity
Can translate complex analyses into clear outputs
Is comfortable working across disciplines
Values environmental justice and applied ecological science
How to Apply
Please fill out the application form. You will need to submit:
CV or resume
Brief cover letter describing relevant experience
Example of analytical output (figure, manuscript section, or code repository)
List of statistical or bioinformatics tools you are proficient in
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
