Senior Data Scientist at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Department

AI Mansueto Institute Administration



About the Department

Successful cities are key to successful societies. Throughout history, cities have represented the vibrancy and ingenuity of humanity by uniting diverse populations and fostering innovation, ultimately enabling societies to flourish. At the Mansueto Institute, we are building on the proud tradition of urban scholarship at the University of Chicago, bringing together ideas and groups to advance research, convene events, and offer opportunities to students, faculty, and others.


We identify and support the best ideas when they are poised to have an impact, aiming to produce innovative solutions. That's why we work with partners throughout the University of Chicago to discover promising research across disciplines and provide the support needed to launch these ideas and make a true difference in people's lives.


Our work takes a variety of forms. This includes developing research and initiatives with partners across UChicago and beyond; outreach and collaborating to identify and advance the needs of a range of constituents; analyzing and presenting data so it makes a meaningful impact on policy questions; bringing together a variety of stakeholders for events on critical issues, from affordable housing to the impact of changing local environments; training University of Chicago students to better serve and lead the cities of the future through a variety of fellowship and research opportunities; and communicating our work to media, communities, policymakers, and the general public.


We work with various schools, departments, centers, institutes, and other units across campus and outside of the university to leverage our resources to turn urban scholarship into impact. At the University of Chicago, we aim to foster a vibrant urban ecosystem. Beyond our walls, we work with community partners, government, the private sector, and others on a variety of efforts to promote a successful urban future.



Job Summary

The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation seeks a highly motivated Senior Data Scientist to work closely with faculty and other researchers at the University of Chicago. This role manages all aspects of scientific research projects in conjunction with the faculty director, directs research associates (RAs) and other student researchers, and maintains compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies and standards. This is a part-tme position of approximately 19 hours per week.



Responsibilities

• Supports Mansueto Institute research at all stages: conception, data collection and cleaning, research design, analysis, visualization, and write up.


• Helps prepare and co-author academic papers, research briefs, presentations, and external other publications targeting both policymakers and researchers.


• Conducts large and small-scale management and analysis of geospatial data, which includes data from a range of different sources, such as statistical agencies, municipal governments, and the proprietary datasets.


• Works with partners and members of the research team to propose and implement analytical approaches to solving specific research questions.


• Works with local, national, and international data repositories and historical datasets to support or advance research.


• Designs and builds statistical models for a variety of research projects.


• Assists with representing the Institute and serves as liaison to new and existing partners, both internally and externally.


• Attends and contributes to research team meetings as well as University of Chicago seminars and workshops, as appropriate.


• Oversees the development and deployment of computational workflows of and reviews code for consistency and quality.


• Applies research principles and relevant subject matter knowledge relevant to administer a research project. With a moderate level of direction, manages lab and/or research-related duties and tasks. Helps develop, design and conduct research projects according to plan.


• Supports data collection and analytical needs of research projects. Conducts literature reviews and helps write reports and manuscripts. Ensures project compliance with different policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.


• 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 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.



Certifications:




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Preferred Qualifications




Education:

• Bachelor's degree.


• Master's degree or higher in a technical field of study, such as data science, computer science, statistics, or a quantitative social science.

Experience:

• Relevant technical work experience through education or prior employment.


• Drafting and delivering research results, ideally in an academic or policy context.


• Project management experience.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Computing and analysis experience with various datasets using standard industry software such as Python, Stata, and R.


• Proficient with statistical analysis applied to GIS data.


• Conceptual and practical expertise in applied statistics and research design, including causal inference and predictive modeling.

Preferred Competencies

• Communicate technical analyses to a non-technical audience through accessible writing and visualization.


• Understand and translate researchers' scientific goals into actionable analytical work plans.


• Work well with faculty and researchers.


• Identify and gain expertise in appropriate new technologies, methods, and/or software tools as needed.


• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.


• Perform at a high level as part of an interactive multi-disciplinary team including faculty, students and other researchers while demonstrating self-initiative to achieve project's goals and align them with the Mansueto Institute's mission.


• Fluency in data organization, manipulation and analysis.


• A passion for understanding cities and what makes them successful.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)


• Cover Letter (required)


• Analytical Writing Sample, research paper or report written for a course or work assignment acceptable (required)

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



Job Family

Research



Role Impact

Individual Contributor



Scheduled
Weekly Hours

19



Drug Test Required

No



Health Screen Required

No



Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No



Pay Rate Type

Hourly



FLSA Status

Non-Exempt



Pay Range

$65.79
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.



Benefits Eligible

This position is not eligible for benefits.



Posting Statement



The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.


Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.


All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Apply Now