Overview
We are hiring a full-time Data Analyst on a 12-month contract to work with our research group, Opportunity Insights. Our team’s mission is to develop scalable policy solutions that will empower families throughout the United States to rise out of poverty and achieve better life outcomes. We pursue this mission primarily by conducting rigorous, scientific research that harnesses the power of “big data” using an interdisciplinary approach.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, our team has developed the real-time Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker which combines anonymized data from leading private companies to provide a rapid picture of indicators such as employment rates, consumer spending, and job postings across counties, industries, and income groups. Results from this project are being actively used by the media and policymakers to address the economic downturn and recovery from COVID-19, and have appeared in the New York Times, Vox, NPR, Reuters, and other media outlets.
The Data Analyst will work to regularly update the data series on the Economic Tracker, improve the Economic Tracker’s data processing and analysis pipelines, and maintain the existing pipelines’ codebase. The analysis and processing pipelines are largely written in and maintained in Stata, and we are looking for a candidate with strong Stata programming skills. This person will report to the Project Manager, and work closely with the Project Manager, Data Engineer, Principal Investigators, and other OI staff to support the ongoing operation, continued expansion, and both internal and external usage of the OI Economic Tracker.
As an organization focused on economic mobility, we value having a diverse staff and particularly encourage applications from groups traditionally under-represented in software engineering and economics. Applicants need not have an economics or computer science degree. A successful candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and will bring relevant experience in data analysis and an interest in applying those skills to achieve the social mission of Opportunity Insights by sustaining and improving the Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker.
This is a twelve-month renewable contract position, with a flexible start date.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume/CV and cover letter to mbell@opportunityinsights.org with the subject line “Data Analyst Application”. In your cover letter, please include information about relevant work experience and your interest in this role. We will begin reviewing applications on February 18th.
Key Responsibilities
- Update the public-facing data series on the Economic Tracker’s website • Perform quality assurance on data releases prior to their publication • Collaborate with OI team and external data partners to investigate data quality issues and to explore and incorporate new data
- Develop and improve automated processes to replace existing manual quality checks and data corrections
- Explore, analyze, and process raw microdata for new data series to be incorporated into the Economic Tracker
- Working with the Project Manager and Data Engineer, refactor the existing codebase and improve its performance and maintainability
Our ideal candidate has the following experience:
- An undergraduate degree involving empirical social sciences and/or programming (e.g. economics, computer science, related fields in social science and data science). While a Master’s degree is not required, it may substitute for other relevant experience
- Interest in pursuing a career in data analysis and/or data science • Demonstrated Stata programming skills; Python and SQL programming experience a plus
- Experience working with and analyzing large datasets
- Experience in scientific and statistical programming
- Competencies
- Attention to detail and commitment to minimizing errors
- Commitment to task ownership and ability to operate under deadlines • Interest in learning new skills and applying existing skills in new settings • Commitment to data privacy and data security
- Effective communication with both technical and non-technical staff and partners, and a commitment to a positive team approach
- Interest in applying data analysis and data science for social good • Enthusiasm for using data analysis to improve research and policymaking
- Option to work remotely: meetings during U.S. Eastern Time hours
- Option to work in Cambridge, MA; Providence, RI; or Toronto, ON
- Must have legal ability to work in the United States or Canada
