"Geospatial Research Assistant (Wharton Impact)"

Job Description

Wharton's Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative (Wharton Impact) is looking to hire Graduate-Level Research Assistants with excellent data science skills and a keen interest in the impacts of natural, social, and human capital on business risk, opportunity, and sustainability. We are looking for a student to work part-time (~15hr/wk) during the upcoming academic year, with the option to extend if mutual interest between RA and supervisor.

The Geospatial Analysis Research Assistant(s) may be expected to work on one or more of the following tasks during their time with Wharton Impact.

• Constructing and maintaining large datasets focusing on firm- and country- level ESG risks and events.
• Spatial data analysis and statistical modeling between places and over time for sentiment and economic data.
• Creating maps and other plots to showcase data by region.

Requisite skills and interests for competitive Research Assistant(s) candidates:

Data Management and Analysis: Proficiency in Python, R, Stata, or similar tools for statistical and econometric analysis. Advanced data integration skills, including fuzzy matching and merging large datasets across multiple levels.

Spatial Data: Familiarity with Coordinate Reference Systems and location file processing

Geospatial Analysis Tools: Familiarity with ArcGIS, QGIS, or equivalent tools to analyze spatial data. Familiarity with one of the following programs and associated packages is key.
o R: sf, terra, raster, sp, stars
o Python: geopandas, rasterio, shapely, GDAL, PyProj

Data Visualization: Experience in creating maps, heatmaps, bubble charts, and other map-based visuals.

Interest in ESG: Strong passion for understanding and addressing Environmental, Social, and Governance challenges.

This role is open to graduate students, please reach out to Wharton Impact Research Manager Alex Pappas (alexpap@wharton.upenn.edu) if you have questions about this role. In the past, we've hired RA's from a number of different schools at Penn, including the Penn Design School for this role, so all are welcome to apply!

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Wharton School

Pay Range
$15,080.00 - Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.