Data Scientist, Early Childhood Policy Research Group

Data Scientist III

A Bachelors Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and five years of experience; Masters Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and three years of experience; Doctoral Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and one year of experience.

The Data Scientist III provides data science measurement analytic and data engineering support across a portfolio of early childhood research service and policy initiatives within the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies and the Early Childhood Policy Research Group (ECPRG).

Sunshine Portal Community Needs Assessment Measurement and Analysis

• Construct validate maintain and annually refresh CNA indicators at the state coalition county and sub-county levels including composite measures and indices such as the Florida Index of Child Care Access (FLICCA).
• Apply and maintain operational definitions and indicator logic for need supply demand access affordability and service gaps and recommend refinements to the ECPRG Principal.
• Evaluate measurement quality using appropriate statistical and psychometric criteria including reliability construct and criterion validity evidence dimensionality scaling and weighting and stability across time and reporting units.
• Select and apply quantitative methods appropriate to the research or policy question and the available data including descriptive and inferential analyses trend and change analysis benchmarking comparisons across reporting units and defensible treatment of missing suppressed or small cell data.
• Apply small number suppression disclosure avoidance and reporting thresholds to all coalition-facing products.
• Conduct sensitivity and robustness checks and document assumptions limitations and known sources of bias.

Sunshine Portal Data Management Engineering and Governance

• Maintain working knowledge of the Sunshine Portal data structure and data elements across contributing sources including School Readiness Voluntary Prekindergarten SNAP Temporary Cash Assistance IDEA Part B and BEESS Homeless Education Bureau of Vital Statistics HIPPY and Childrens Medical Services Title XXI records.
• Maintain data element documentation including codebooks variable definitions valid value ranges derivation logic and crosswalks and update documentation as agency systems and reporting requirements change.
• Implement data quality standards and automated processes for validation anomaly detection completeness and coverage and resolve data issues with originating agencies.
• Resolve structural and methodological questions affecting measurement validity including unit of analysis alignment across child household provider and coalition levels; enrollment and eligibility periods; fiscal year and reporting period boundaries; and changes in definitions or data series.
• Maintain data models schemas and secure storage environments in accordance with applicable data sharing agreements FERPA HIPAA where applicable and UF requirements for restricted data.
• Maintain reproducible version-controlled codebases and technical documentation sufficient for audit replication and continuity of operations.

The Childrens Trust Thrive by 5 and Other Contracted Project Analytics

• Provide data science and analytic support for The Childrens Trust Thrive by 5 (TB5) contract including project-specific measurement data integration reporting quality improvement and evaluation activities.
• Translate contract requirements and project objectives into analytic plans measures data structures workflows and reporting products in consultation with project leadership.
• Develop maintain and analyze datasets required for TB5 performance monitoring quality improvement program analysis and other contracted deliverables.
• Produce dashboards analyses reports tables figures and technical documentation required by the TB5 contract and related ECPRG initiatives.
• Collaborate with project leadership and external partners to identify data needs assess data quality and feasibility resolve analytic issues and ensure that reported results are traceable to documented methods and source data.
• Reuse appropriate data infrastructure analytic methods documentation and measurement approaches across the Sunshine Portal TB5 and other projects while preserving project-specific requirements and definitions.

Collaborative Research New Projects and Portfolio Support

• Provide data engineering measurement and analytic support across the ECPRG portfolio including state contracts foundation-funded studies local and regional partnerships and collaborative work obtained during the period of appointment.
• Advise investigators and project leads on measurement approaches analytic strategies data acquisition feasibility study design and appropriate use and interpretation of data.
• Onboard rapidly to new data sources research questions substantive areas and deliverable formats as new collaborations and funded projects are initiated.
• Support data acquisition and governance activities for new projects including scoping data needs contributing to data sharing agreement requests and assessing whether available data can answer proposed questions.
• Contribute analyses tables figures methods documentation technical reports policy briefs manuscripts grant proposals and presentations across the portfolio.

Technical Guidance Standards and Project Coordination

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance to data analysts research staff and graduate assistants working on assigned data and analytic activities.
• Review analytic code measurement specifications and data products for quality reproducibility and methodological soundness.
• Apply and help maintain analytic standards coding conventions version control practices and documentation procedures for the ECPRG data team.
• Maintain technical workplans and timelines for assigned deliverables anticipate data and operational risks and communicate priorities risks and resource constraints to the ECPRG Principal.
• Participate in technical working groups data governance discussions and project meetings with state agencies The Childrens Trust coalition partners researchers and other collaborators.
• Complete required University training and pursue professional development including conferences workshops and coursework relevant to data science measurement and early childhood policy.
• Provide general administrative and operational support to the ECPRG including onboarding assistance for new staff and graduate assistants software and licensing requests and records maintenance for the data team.

This position is time-limited and soft-funded.

$100000 - $115000

A Bachelors Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and five years of experience; Masters Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and three years of experience; Doctoral Degree in data science statistics bioinformatics analytics or similar field and one year of experience.

• Demonstrated experience in measurement including construct definition indicator and composite index development and evaluation of reliability and validity evidence.
• Demonstrated competence across quantitative and analytic methods with the judgment to select methods appropriate to the question and the constraints of the data.
• Demonstrated experience working with large complex administrative or longitudinal datasets including reasoning about data structure variable definitions and units of analysis across linked sources.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python for data management and statistical analysis and proficiency in SQL for relational database work.
• Experience building or maintaining production data pipelines.
• Experience working with restricted or confidential data under formal data sharing IRB or comparable governance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings precisely to technical and non-technical audiences through written products and presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently across multiple concurrent projects with differing data sources methods substantive areas and deliverable formats including scoping assigned work managing timelines and delivering externally facing analytic products.

In order to be considered you must upload your cover letter and resume.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

This is a time-limited position.