Pew Research Center’s Data Labs team uses data science tools and techniques to produce original research. The team contributes to the Center’s reputation for experimentation and tells interesting stories about the behaviors and life experiences of the public
.
The Associate Director
is responsible for
managing the team’s junior and mid-level data scientists; weighing in on technical and methodological decisions across the team’s various internally- and
externally-facing
projects; and
establish
ing
research standards and best practices across the team
.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in social science research
paired
with
a deep understanding of the
technical
and methodological decisions
needed to
produce
research t
hat is on par with the Center’s standards
.
While the Associate Director will have opportunities
for individual research contributions
,
the
primar
y
focus
of the role is
facilitat
ing
the
broader
research
portfolio
of the team.
This position reports to the Managing Director of Data Labs.
Primary Responsibilities
Team m
anagement
Responsible for day-to-day management and career development of junior and mid-level
research staff
.
P
ublic
spokesperson
for the team
at conferences
,
the media
and elsewhere
.
Interface with
internal partners and stakeholders around research production
,
dissemination
and budgeting
.
Methods
,
research
standards
and process
guidance
Works with research staff to select most
appropriate methods
and
project
designs for ongoing research efforts.
Manages the team’s technical toolkit
, ensures that
research
best practices
are being followed and sufficiently documented.
Contributes significantly to AI governance and use of LLM
s
in the research process for the team
and
across the Center
.
Team strategy
Helps to
pitch,
select
and refine the
team’s ongoing research portfolio
.
Helps
to
s
hepherd projects from conception to
production.
In collaboration with the Managing Director and
VP of Methods and Innovation
,
sets
the overall strategic
direction and focus of the team.
Education/Training/Experience
PhD-level research experience or equivalent
Experience leading research teams or managing people preferred
Knowledge and Skills Requirements
E
xperience conducting
or
managing technical
research
projects
using
diverse data sources
(including
web, social media, text, geographical, and/or audiovisual data
)
.
Strong
understanding of the technical infrastructures that enable and support
social science
methods at
scale
.
Excellent communication and
conflict resolution skills
. A
bility to speak fluently about complex research topics with
both technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience working with
large
data sets, managing large
compute
workloads, and
monitoring
cloud computing infrastructure such as AWS
.
Deep
expertise
in applied NLP, including transformer fine-tuning, zero-
shot
and few-shot classification, LLM prompt engineering, and model evaluation best practices
. Can
articulat
e
and champion a technical vision that is grounded in social science research
.
Experience with multimodal data processing, including audio, video, and image data; familiarity with
HuggingFace
ecosystem preferred
.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Compensation:
The typical starting salary for this position is $167,400
annually.
Hybrid Work Schedule
:
Pew Research Center staff
are required to
be present in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
.
Staff may work
virtually from
remote locations on other days in a typical work week
.
Application Procedure:
Click on the Apply button, and complete required fields. Both cover letter and resume are required.
When requested, please upload a copy of your resume/cv, as well as a copy of your cover letter in the section labeled Resume/Cover Letter. If the documents have successfully
uploaded
, you should see 2 attached files beneath the “Drop files here” box. Please make sure you have uploaded a resume AND a cover letter before moving on to the next page.
Total Rewards
In addition to competitive pay, Pew Research Center’s employees enjoy a robust total rewards package
that includes:
Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision benefits.
Generous paid annual leave plan, including a winter break between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
Employer-paid disability, life insurance and paid family leave plans
Up to a 12% employer 401(k) contribution, with vesting at the end of the first year.
A 37.5-hour workweek.
Health savings or flexible spending account options with employer funding component.
Flexibility to telework a portion of each week, with an additional four telework “flex weeks” each year for most staff.
EEO:
Pew Research Center makes employment decisions without regard to age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We encourage applications from candidates who represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.