Job Description

Job Category: Research & Research Support
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This competition is restricted to internal applicants of the University of Alberta. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.
This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).
This position has a term length of one year plus a day with the possibility of extension and offers a .
Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus, Edmonton.
Position Summary
The Research Assistant: Advanced Data Analytics will support data-driven research by managing the full analytics workflow from data collection to model deployment. This role is responsible for gathering, cleaning, and validating diverse datasets; performing exploratory and statistical analyses; and applying Natural Language Processing techniques to extract insights from unstructured data.
The Research Assistant will develop and refine predictive and machine learning models, ensuring their accuracy, reliability, and scalability through rigorous testing and optimization. The role also involves translating complex findings into clear, compelling visualizations and communicating results in a business-ready format to inform decision-making and advance research objectives.
Responsibilities:

• Data collection & cleaning: gathering, consolidating, and validating raw datasets to ensure accuracy and readiness for analysis.
• Data analysis & exploration: performing descriptive and diagnostic analytics to identify trends, anomalies, and key business drivers.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): applying text analytics, tokenization, embeddings, and model-based techniques to extract insights from unstructured text data.
• Predictive modelling & machine learning development: building and training statistical and machine learning models to support forecasting and classification tasks.
• Model validation & optimization: testing, tuning, and refining models to maximize accuracy, reliability, and scalability.
• Data visualization & communication: developing clear, insightful visual representations of findings and presenting results to stakeholders in a business-ready format.

Qualifications:

• Master's in Science / Engineering with expertise in Python, natural language processing, and advanced predictive data analytics.
• Experience with data cleaning, exploratory analysis, and basic statistical methods.
• Proficiency in Python for data analysis and machine learning.
• Experience applying NLP techniques to text data.
• Hands-on experience building and validating predictive or machine learning models.
• Ability to create clear data visualizations and communicate analytical findings.
• Experience with research projects, cloud platforms

About Us:
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Metis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.
Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people - from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. .
At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
All University employees have a responsibility to foster a workplace that prioritizes safety in all its forms-physical, cultural, and psychological. This is achieved by promoting a safe environment, adhering to all safety laws, policies and procedures, completing all required safety training, identifying hazards and implementing controls, reporting incidents, and contributing to a culture of belonging and respect, while endeavoring to ensure that all colleagues feel valued and safe to express their thoughts, perspectives and concerns.
The University of Alberta is committed to creating a university community where everyone feels valued, barriers to success are removed, and thriving connections are fostered. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women, First Nations, Metis and Inuit persons, members of visible minority groups, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.
L'Universite de l'Alberta s'engage a creer une communaute universitaire ou chaque personne se sent valorisee, ou les obstacles a la reussite sont elimines et ou des connexions enrichissantes peuvent se developper. Nous accueillons les demandes de toutes les personnes qualifiees. Nous encourageons les femmes; Premieres nations, Metis et Inuits; membres des groupes minoritaires visibles; personnes handicapees; personnes de toute orientation sexuelle ou identite et expression de genre; et toutes les personnes qui peuvent contribuer a la diversification des idees et a l'universite a postuler.
About the Team: The is one of North America's top engineering schools, known for innovation, collaboration, and impact. It fosters an exceptional student experience through a holistic approach that combines technical excellence with emotional intelligence. With strong community engagement, interdisciplinary research, and a commitment to societal well-being, the faculty prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving, global engineering landscape.

Skills Required