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Data Scientist I supporting social science research and analytics

NORC at the University of ChicagoData & Analytics
Salary
$90K–$100K
Hiring from
United States
Work type
Hybrid
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JOB SUMMARY:

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a qualified Data Scientist I to join the Methodology and Quantitative Social Sciences department and support innovative research and analytics. The Data Scientist I works collaboratively with methodologists, researchers, statisticians, software developers, and subject matter experts throughout the research lifecycle, including study design, data collection, quality assessment, quantitative analysis, and dissemination of results. This role combines strong foundations in data management, research methodology, and computational social science to develop methodological and data science solutions that improve research, operational efficiency, and decision-making.

The Data Scientist I will contribute to projects involving structured and unstructured data, survey data, administrative records, commercial data, text data, and other novel data sources. Responsibilities may include developing data pipelines, implementing data management approaches, maintaining analytical workflows, conducting analysis and creating data visualizations, and assisting in the writing and dissemination of results. The ideal candidate possesses strong social science research and data expertise, written and communication skills, R programming expertise, experience building reproducible analytical workflows, and an interest in applying advanced methods to solve complex research and business problems. Data Scientists are expected to manage multiple assignments, contribute to projects and proposals, stay current with emerging analytic tools, and work effectively in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office.

Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.
DEPARTMENT: Methodology and Quantitative Social Sciences (MQSS)

The Methodology and Quantitative Social Sciences (MQSS) department implements state-of-the-art methodologies and develops innovations to deliver reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business and policy decisions for NORC clients. The department provides leadership throughout the project lifecycle on study design, data collection, assessment of data quality, quantitative analysis, and dissemination of results. The Methodological and Quantitative Social Sciences department also conducts its own research and is a leader in designing and implementing rigorous, efficient methods for gathering, evaluating, and analyzing data from primary and secondary sources. The department provides expertise and leads NORC strategy on the use of a broad range of methods and techniques, including research and experimental design, recruitment and retention, instrument design and testing, assessing data quality, evaluating measurement properties of new measures, causal inference methods, machine learning, analysis of clustered data, data visualization, use of novel data sources and technologies to improve data gathering, and building AI solutions that support NORC’s research. The department collaborates with the Statistics and Data Science Department on areas of synergy and intersection and with all NORC subject matter departments, in addition to leading its own projects.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Apply computational and machine learning methods to support survey research, evaluation studies, and other social science research initiatives
  • Contribute to and review the methodological/analytical sections of reports, tables/graphics, presentations, dashboards, and other deliverables
  • Assist with proposal and business development activities related to methodological, analytic, and/or study design tasks.
  • Establish reproducible, quality‑assured analytic workflows; implement version control (Git), environment management, peer code review, automated testing, and validation checks.
  • Develop robust data pipelines that integrate, transform, and analyze structured and unstructured data from multiple sources to support research and operational objectives.
  • Design and implement data products, dashboards, applications, and automated tools that enable data-driven decision making.
  • Write and implement R programs to extract/manipulate data, link complex datasets, and execute machine learning and statistical analyses.
  • Present research papers at professional conferences and submit articles for publication in journals.
  • Work with relational databases, cloud platforms, and large-scale computing environments to manage and analyze complex datasets efficiently.
  • Uphold data disclosure limitation and data privacy best practices.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED SKILLS:
  • Bachelor's degree in computational social science, data science, computer science or a related quantitative field with social science emphasis.
  • At least 4 years of relevant experience (graduate research, internships, and applied professional experience may be considered).
  • Demonstrated proficiency developing production-quality code in R.
  • Strong foundation in areas of social science research, analytic methods, data engineering, machine learning, and scientific methods of inquiry.
  • Must be detail-oriented and quality-focused, with demonstrated written and oral communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal communication, analytic capability, technical writing, problem identification and resolution, and task management
  • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, effectively organize and manage time, including ability to set priorities to meet all project, proposal, and administrative needs in a timely fashion
  • Experience developing software, data pipelines, or analytical applications.
  • Experience conducting statistical analysis and machine learning using real-world datasets.
  • Experience working with Git and collaborative development workflows.
  • Enthusiasm for teamwork and collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Preferred Skills:

  • Demonstrated experience programming in Python
  • Experience analyzing survey, administrative, or other large-scale observational datasets, and/or working with longitudinal survey data.
  • Experience with interactive data visualization and mapping libraries such as R Shiny, D3.js or other JavaScript data visualization libraries and HTML/CSS.
  • Experience with large-scale data platforms such as Databricks, Spark, Hadoop, or Hive.
  • Experience developing, evaluating, or deploying machine learning and AI solutions, including work with large language models, and cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).
SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The pay range for this position is $90,000-$100,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment

  • Dental and vision insurance

  • A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program

  • Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance

  • Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.
WHO WE ARE:

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.
EEO STATEMENT:

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.

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