Data Analyst

Department

AI RISC

About the Department

Foster Insights is an exciting new project out of the University’s Center for RISC, an innovation lab for social good led by Freakonomics economist Steve Levitt. We help state child welfare agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use data to deliver better outcomes, ensuring that children in foster care remain connected to their families and communities whenever possible. With a fast-growing list of clients, we are seeking team members ready to wear multiple hats and support building Foster Insights from the ground up.

Job Summary

Join a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary team in a startup environment. As an early member of a growing initiative, you will wear multiple hats: talking with stakeholders to understand real world problems, figuring out relevant data sources, and proposing action based on findings. You will use R and Python to perform in-depth analysis and create accessible visualizations, and your work will be highly visible to external leaders, who will look to your compelling reports and presentations to guide practice. You will create new work streams and grow the team’s impact.

Responsibilities

• Conducts and delivers impactful data analyses to child welfare system leaders, including state directors, NGO executives, and program staff.
• Prepares written reports, decks, and related documentation that translate analytical findings into actionable recommendations for program and policy improvement.
• Conducts literature reviews, informational interviews, and exploratory data analysis to uncover causes of challenges in child welfare systems.
• Transform complex datasets into analyzable formats using tools like R and Python.
• Writes transparent and maintainable code using version control systems like Git.
• Applies statistical techniques to analyze large datasets and extract meaningful insights.
• Develops and presents data visualizations utilizing appropriate statistical packages.
• Works closely with colleagues and external partners to share insights, present findings, and advance solutions.
• Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project.
• Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in data science, computer science, economics, or similar field.  

Experience:

• Hands-on experience in data manipulation and analysis.
• Background creating data visualizations.
• Exposure to working with large datasets within the context of public policy or social services.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficiency with R or Python. 
• Familiarity with AWS GovCloud. 

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of engaging both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven record of aligning external stakeholder needs with high quality deliverables.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail, especially with regards to data.
• Professional demeanor including tact, discretion, and a customer service oriented approach.
• Proven ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines, and possession of a self-motivated disposition.
• Critical thinking skills and identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes to achieve key objectives. 
• Strong data skills, including proven ability to produce impactful insights with little direction.
• Work both independently and successfully as a member of a team.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required) 
• In lieu of a cover letter, please respond to the following prompts: a)Why Foster Insights? (150 words); and b)Tell us about a time when you used data to investigate a real world problem (250 words)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor<