Senior Demographer

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Department:

The Center for Population Studies (CPS) educates, conducts research, and engages in public outreach concerning population issues and is the lead agency for the State Data Center (SDC) of Mississippi. CPS works closely with university, government, and non-profit agencies across the State. CPS and SDC help Mississippians access, use, and interpret public data. In this capacity, CPS distributes data, provides instruction on data analysis, and serves as the liaison between the Census Bureau and the public.

CPS, through the SDC, represents MS in the Federal-State Cooperative for Population Estimates (FSCPE), coordinating the fulfillment of data requests for official population estimates, participating in the statewide Complete Count Committee, and calculating and publishing population projections for the state and counties. The latter are used by state agencies, businesses, foundations, and researchers to plan for the future.

Job Summary:

Provides technical expertise, budget oversight, and staff supervision to advance research.

The Center for Population Studies (CPS, http://cps.olemiss.edu) and State Data Center of Mississippi (SDC, http://sdc.olemiss.edu) at the University of Mississippi invite applications for the position of Senior Demographer (trained in demography, sociology, statistics, or related fields), beginning in summer/fall 2026. The Senior Demographer will support the research and outreach mission of CPS/SDC by directing the research agenda on Mississippi’s demographic trends and working with a range of federal, state, and local stakeholders. Applicants should have extensive experience with research on demographic trends and producing population estimates and projections. Applicants should have advanced knowledge of statistical software (e.g., R, STATA), ArcGIS, and Excel and excellent data management skills. In addition to technical expertise, applicants should be comfortable maintaining relationships with a variety of stakeholders (e.g., students, government officials, community-based organizations). In addition, the Senior Demographer will maintain a research agenda that supports the work of CPS/SDC.

Job Description:

Examples of Work Performed:

• Work closely with the SDC’s Applied Demographer, CPS Director, and State officials around Census data collection, outreach, and reporting, including, but not limited to, participating in the Census Count Review Operation;
• Produce population estimates and projections;
• Act as a liaison between SDC and the U.S. Census Bureau;
• Produce public-facing research products on population trends;
• Engage in research activity broadly related to population, demography, and related topics.
• Assists with the design, monitoring and execution of project-specific experiments, identifies and resolves technical issues.
• Serves as a unit liaison and provides updates on project components and timelines to stakeholders as needed.
• Implements operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives.
• Assists with the monitoring of project-specific budgets.
• Assists with proposals for extramural funded research studies.
• Prepares reports and publications.
• Supervises and coordinates the day-to-day activities of a staff and resolves routine personnel issues.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD in demography, sociology, statistics, or a related field (if Master’s degree, candidate must have at least 3 years of relevant experience);
• Extensive experience with demographic theory and methods;
• Advanced training in data analysis and visualization, including use of statistical software, ArcGIS, and Excel;
• Experience with academic writing and publishing, including grant-writing;

For full consideration, candidates will submit the following documents: (1) a cover letter outlining your research/technical qualifications and related experience for the advertised position, (2) a C.V. or resume detailing your applicable experience and education, and (3) a writing sample. Review of applications will begin June 30, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Candidates who are selected for further review may be asked to provide three references (to be submitted by the candidate’s referees through the online application website).

If you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Parks, chair of the search committee at [email protected] or (662) 915-7295.

Departmental budget will only allow for a maximum of $85,000/year.

Job Responsibilities:

Education Qualifications:

Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

Relevant experience | 3 Years | Required

Compensation:

$56,763.20 - $85,134.40