Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the new digital age, and that government at all levels can and should work well for all people. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to show that with the mindful use of technology, we can break down barriers, meet community needs, and find real solutions.

Our employees build and transform government and community tools and services, making them so good they inspire change. We merge the best parts of technology, nonprofit, and government to help support the people who need it most.

With a focus on transparency and fairness, and deep empathy for partners in government and community organizations and the people that our partners serve, we’re building a movement of motivated change agents driven by meaningful results and lasting impact.

At Code for America, you contribute to exciting work while learning and developing in a supportive and flexible environment. Our compensation and benefits are holistic and thoughtfully curated to represent our employees and our mission. Help us drive real generational change that lasts.

Code for America is looking for a talented Senior Data Scientist who will uncover user needs through data and analysis, inform our product development decisions, measure program and intervention effectiveness, and clearly communicate insights to cross-functional teams that drive continuous service improvement. They will also contribute to team culture and help advance data science best practices.

About the Role: 

Code for America’s data scientists use a wide range of statistical and analytical methods to improve user experiences and outcomes across the tax, criminal justice, and safety net services that Code for America delivers.  

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will contribute to complex, high-impact projects from end to end - applying rigorous data analysis, developing predictive models, and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to drive data-informed decisions. You’ll work alongside qualitative researchers, designers, software engineers, product managers, program managers, and client success staff, ensuring that insights translate into actionable improvements. You will play an important part in shaping how we use data to design equitable, effective government services that meet people where they are.

Data Scientists at Code for America are an integral component of all of our program areas and as a Senior Data Scientist, you will work in one of the following programs:

• Criminal Justice, which focuses on Automatic Record Clearance,
• Tax Benefits, which focuses on free trustworthy tax services and simplified tax filing,
• Social Safety Net, which includes food benefits, integrated benefits applications, and training & capacity building.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in data science and analytics, and experience driving projects independently in cross-functional, mission-driven environments.

The Senior Data Scientist will report to a Data Science Manager, and there may be up to 10% of travel for this role.

 

In this Position You Will:

Hands-on Data Science Work

• Conduct descriptive data analysis using case, survey, and event data to identify and size problems 
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to identify potential improvements
• Develop and implement key metrics to measure the effectiveness and impact of our products and services
• When appropriate, apply AI/ML techniques in collaboration with cross-functional teams to improve the delivery of products and services
• Create and maintain dashboards and visualizations to communicate key insights to stakeholders

Project Management & Documentation

• Break down, estimate, and prioritize tasks with a good architectural/systems perspective 
• Reliably own and deliver on medium to large size projects
• Create and maintain technical documentation for data science projects and models
• Communicate project status, risks, and outcomes to technical and non-technical stakeholders

Team Collaboration