Senior Data Scientist - Opportunity to Work Remotely from the US

ABOUT US

Do you have a passion for higher education? Do you want to make a positive impact on the college admissions process? Our team strives to remove obstacles and motivate students to forge a transition to a brighter future. Common App is a nationwide non-profit organization committed to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admissions process. Every year, we assist more than 1 million students, one-third of whom are first-generation students, as they apply to over 900 of our diverse member colleges and universities using Common App's free online application.

If you're an experienced Senior Data Scientist seeking to join a mission-driven non-profit organization that leverages innovative technology to enhance the college admissions process, Common App could be an excellent fit for you. We are currently seeking a Senior Data Scientist.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent in the Senior Data Scientist role will help grow the organization's evolving research and analysis function. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, Analytics, and Research, the individual will be involved in all aspects of the research function, including the production of externally oriented research products, management of external research partnerships, and applied research in support of data-informed Common App initiatives. The Senior Data Scientist will utilize advanced training and experience in data science, research methodology and data visualization to implement the research agenda and deploy products that promote Common App’s commitment to access and equity across the organization’s functional areas. They will also closely collaborate with our Communications and Leadership teams to enhance the impact of our public- and constituent-oriented research products, supporting strategic engagement with other thought leaders, media, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

The required specifications for this role are:

• Candidates must live in the United States.
• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative social sciences discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Economics, Education Policy, Education Measurement, Psychometrics, Computational Psychology, etc.) or related quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics)
• Minimum 4 - 6 years of experience with at least 2 years in any of the following domains: descriptive or causal quantitative social science research, data reporting and analytics, data visualization, data mining, and/or data quality inspection/cleaning.
• Proficiency in data manipulation and coding with SQL and/or R.
• Experience working with and validating imperfect data.
• Experience in managing analyses for large-scale, interconnected datasets (e.g., memory management, parallel computing, complex join logic, etc.)
• Experience with descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Experience with data visualization tools (Tableau, R preferred).
• Experience working with National Center for Education Statistics, Census, College
• Scorecard, National Student Clearinghouse, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
• System, and other publicly available datasets related to education.
• Understanding of the strategic context of Common Application’s role in the higher education industry.
• Significant project experience and ability to translate insights from large-scale data sources into business actions or product services.
• Strong interpersonal skills and service orientation.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate data and research findings to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse and collaborative environment.
• Proficiency or experience in one of the following areas: natural language processing methodologies (especially large language models), predictive analytics and modeling, survey methodology and analysis, data-driven recommendation systems, and/or clustering analysis (e.g., latent profile analysis, latent class analysis, etc.).

The ideal candidate will have:

• Advanced degree in a quantitative social sciences discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Economics, Education Policy, Education Measurement, Psychometrics, Computational Psychology, etc.) or related quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics)
• Minimum 4 - 6 years relevant experience with at least 3 years of experience in the following domains: descriptive or causal quantitative social science research, data reporting and analytics, data visualization, data mining, and/or data quality inspection/cleaning.
• Experience with AWS cloud computing services (e.g., Sagemaker, S3, Athena, Redshift).
• Passion for, and experience in, higher education.
• Experience with Agile methodologies for cross-functional, product-oriented collaboration.

Benefits

Common App operates primarily in a virtual environment. We value the time and efforts of our employees. Our commitment to your success is underscored by our competitive salary and broad-gauge benefits package, which includes:

• Paid time off
• Healthcare
• Additional compensation
• Opportunities for growth within the organization

We strive to maintain an environment where employees can learn and grow. It's our goal to build a diverse, team-oriented, and creative environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, please send your resume and cover letter along with your salary expectations.