at American Institutes for Research in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Overview
Join AIR as a Data Scientist in our Technology Solutions team where we use technology to transform the world we live in. Our cross-cutting Technology Solutions team provides technical expertise and solutions by focusing on responsive service and flexibility in delivery. Our collaborative, learning-oriented team works worldwide in a flexible working environment, towards the mission of making the world a better, more equitable place.
We design, architect, develop, and deploy cutting-edge, user-centered solutions, including:
+ Software development of data collection, processing, and reporting solutions for data-intensive projects
+ Dissemination of data and information through websites and content management systems
+ Solving complex problems using machine-learning and artificial intelligence
+ Data visualization
+ Online training courses and media development
Withdiversity, equity, and inclusion (https://www.air.org/our-commitment-diversity-equity-and-inclusion) built into our DNA, we value the contributions of every member of our institution.Use your tech skills for good and collaborate with fellow changemakers in our Technology Solutions team.
AIR is seeking a full-time Data Scientist within AIR’s Technology Solutions (TS) Group. AIR’s mission is to conduct and apply the best behavioral and social science research towards improving people’s lives, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged. Much of this work informs the development and implementation of policies that require and produce significant quantities of diverse data. Data scientists at AIR use a blend of technology skills and theory to contribute to cutting-edge research design, implementation, and capacity building. Our team promotes career development through interdisciplinary collaboration, training opportunities, a community of practice, mentorship and managerial responsibilities, and the opportunity to work on meaningful projects spanning several domains, including education, public health, workforce, science and innovation policy, criminal justice, and housing. We balance contemporary agile development with rigorous approaches to research design, all the while remaining outcomes-driven and aligned to our clients’ missions and goals.
Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations . This does not include U.S. territories.
About AIR:
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.
AIR’s commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone’s unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff byclicking here (https://www.air.org/our-commitment-diversity-equity-and-inclusion) .
Responsibilities
The responsibilities for the position include:
+ Collaborate with researchers from a variety of disciplines and fields to acquire, process, and understand data that clients need to make better decisions.
+ Design, validate, and visualize data-driven models, including machine learning approaches, to understand social and behavioral phenomena in support of AIR’s mission to improve education, health and the workforce.
+ Creatively and independently explore new approaches to behavioral and social science research and evaluation that will improve peoples’ lives.
+ Collect, parse and analyze text and other data from websites and other sources using APIs and custom code.
+ Create structured datasets from large, unstructured data that describe peoples’ activities, behavior, social networks and communication, as well as other social phenomena.
+ Support and collaborate with experts in a variety of disciplines and fields to pioneer new approaches to research by integrating diverse data sources.
+ Develop new or implement existing algorithms for record linkage across disparate datasets.
+ Use R, Python and other programming languages and analytic tools to develop models that predict, describe and explain social behavior and outcomes.
+ Analyze and interpret experimental data.
+ Communicate findings to project teams and other technical and non-technical collaborators.
+ Comprehensively document all work to support an open research community.
+ Present work outputs using static and dynamic visualization, slide decks, and written deliverables.
+ Present work outputs using static and dynamic visualization, slide decks, and written deliverables.
+ Author academic/white papers.
Qualifications
Education, Knowledge, and Experience:
+ An M.S. from a statistics, mathematics, computer science, computational social science or operations research program is preferred, with 4 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field with 5 years of relevant experience. Advanced degrees from other programs will also be considered, provided candidates have significant statistical and computational experience and skills.
+ Work experience in STEM or social science research field is a plus.
+ 4+ years of relevant work experience compiling and analyzing complex, high volume, high dimensional datasets for economics or other social science research.
+ 4+ years of experience using R, Perl, Python, Java, or other languages appropriate for large scale data analysis.
+ Experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases (e.g., MySQL, HBase, Cassandra, Neo4J, etc.) is a plus.
+ Experience with data visualization software (e.g., plot.ly or Tableau) .
+ Experience with distributed computing platforms, such as Hadoop and Spark.
+ Working knowledge of software engineering concepts, DevOps, and agile delivery.
Skills:
+ Quantitative and qualitative research skills.
+ Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
+ Ability to learn quickly, take directions, and work independently.
+ Ability to communicate complex quantitative analysis in a clear, precise, and actionable manner to non-technical audiences, management and experts in non-data fields.
+ Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing.
Disclosures:
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.
AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.
AIR’s Total Rewards Program ,is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers an anticipated annual salary of $110,000 to $140,000. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and extern
