Senior Data Analyst at California Policy Lab
Los Angeles, California — full-time
The Senior Data Analyst is an exciting opportunity for a skilled programmer who wants to directly inform policy development and improvement in California. The ideal Senior Data Analyst is an expert programmer who is fluent in multiple programming languages, has experience with SQL databases and large administrative datasets, and believes in CPL’s mission. The Senior Data Analyst will be responsible for: helping research affiliates and other staff write and troubleshoot code to accomplish research tasks; using data science, econometric, and machine learning methods to extract meaning from data; building, managing, and optimizing ETL pipelines and SQL databases for research purposes; implementing linkages of large administrative datasets and preparing analysis datasets; and preparing graphs, tables, maps, or other visual displays of research results. The Senior Data Analyst will contribute to applied research projects that aim to improve programs and policies in California. The Senior Data Analyst will report to CPL’s UC Berkeley Research Director, Dr. Johanna Lacoe. The Senior Data Analyst should have strong working knowledge of multiple languages, including Python, R, Stata, and/or SAS. In addition, the Senior Data Analyst should have experience building and managing SQL databases, preferably in Microsoft SQL Server. The position works directly with leading social policy researchers at UC and beyond, staff from state and local government agencies, as well as the leadership team at CPL, and it is important that the candidate be able to explain highly technical concepts to different audiences. The position will be based at our UC Berkeley office, with the option of working remotely up to two days per week. Responsibilities ● Write and troubleshoot code to prepare analysis datasets and accomplish research tasks. ● Implement linkages of large administrative datasets, maintain and improve CPL’s base hashing and linkage code, and work with researchers to use the code. ● Prepare graphs, tables, maps, or other visual displays of research results. ● Build and maintain ETL pipelines for CPL’s data sources. ● Maintain and implement a data management plan for CPL’s principal datasets, including version control procedures. ● Design, maintain, and optimize relational databases (MS SQL Server) for sensitive administrative datasets. ● Identify responsible opportunities to use automation and AI-enabled tools to improve data workflows, documentation, metadata management, code review, and internal knowledge management. Required Qualifications ● Minimum requirement of a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, statistics, economics, or equivalent related experience. ● Extensive experience in computer programming required, including fluency in data-analysis packages from commonly used programming languages like Python, R, Stata, and/or SAS, as well as version control systems such as Git. ● Experience with efficiently analyzing large datasets (>10TB).