Education Data Analyst III/ Data Scientist - Education Research

SRI Education is committed to bringing rigorous and equitable research and evaluation data to bear on important decisions concerning PreK-16 education. We are seeking to hire a Senior Data Analyst, who specializes in data science methods, with strong quantitative training and leadership experience to join our team. This Data Science Analyst will support all phases of the data pipeline, from working with sites to collect data, processing data, creating common constructs from disparate district data, running analyses, and outputting results.

We are happy to have candidates join us in our office locations.  We have offices in Arlington, VA, and Menlo Park, CA.  We also have large populations of employees in the Boston area as well as Denver/Boulder, CO.  Alternatively, we will also consider 100% remote candidates.

• Support collection of extant and administrative data sets through requests submitted to institutions such as school districts and from publicly available sources
• Lead data processing and management
• Build complex relational databases to support data collection and management
• Lead data reporting and visualizations (including using R markdown, Tableau, and other forms of table/graph generation)
• Present study findings clearly and accurately
• Design, lead, and document projects’ technical work (e.g., lead author of technical appendices, design and oversee documentation of project statistical coding) 
• Apply an equity lens to quantitative design, analysis, and interpretation 
• Develop new processes to strengthen data processing, management, analysis, and reporting
• Mentor other researchers on data processing, management, analysis, and reporting 

• A bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record in data science, economics, mathematics, statistics, biostatistics, public administration, public policy, sociology, political science, or a related field
• At least 5 years of programming experience in a professional or academic environment.
• Prior experience obtaining and cleaning complex extant data (e.g., student-level district data sets)
• At least 2 years of experience leading teams in the collection, cleaning, management and analysis of data from multiple sources
• At least 2 years of experience with analytic software (Stata, R, or SAS)
• At least 2 years of experience using Python, SQL, or Tableau for online data collection and dashboards
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to translate statistical methods and findings for a non-technical audience. 
• Capacity to support multiple projects simultaneously and change focus as priorities shift through use of strong organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams to problem solve and ensure high quality products through attention to detail and to project requirements
• Willingness to work across a range of projects related to PreK–16 education 
• A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion both in research and in the workplace 

Preferred Qualifications

• Training in data science methods (e.g., statistical methods, data visualization, and machine learning)
• Experience with some of the following statistical and/or quantitative methods: causal inference at both the design (e.g., experimental designs, matching, or weighting for comparison group selection) and analysis (e.g., regression, hierarchical/multilevel modeling) phases, Bayesian inference, longitudinal data analysis, performance measurement, survey statistics and predictive modeling.
• Experience performing analytics using cloud computing platforms and services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure, and/or Databricks is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Standards and Standards for Excellence in Education Research (SEER)
• Experience building databases in Quickbase 
• Training in survey methods (e.g., sampling, validity/reliability analysis)
• Experience or expertise designing and implementing equity-focused educational research
• Professional or volunteer experience in or with the US public PreK–16 education system, including working with Black or African American, Latino, Latinx, or Hispanic students, or students and families with limited financial means
• Proximity to SRI’s Menlo Park CA or Arlington VA office that enables occasional in-office work

In your cover letter, please include information about your training in data science methods and your experience relevant to the requirements in this posting. Candidates who proceed to the interview process will be asked to provide coding samples. 

SRI Education (https://www.sri.com/research-development/education-learning), a division of SRI International, is helping federal and state agencies, school districts, major foundations, nonprofit organizations, and international and commercial clients tackle some of the most complex issues in education to help students succeed. Our mission is to reduce barriers, optimize outcomes, and ensure educational equity for all children, youth, and families. We do this by conducting high-quality research, supporting use of data and evidence, helping to strengthen state and local systems, and developing tools that improve teaching and accelerate and deepen learning. Our work covers a range of topics: early learning and development, disability and inclusion, supporting multilingual learners, student behavior and well-being, teaching quality, digital learning, STEM and computer science, literacy and language arts, and college and career pathways. We believe diversity in our organization and project teams leads to better and more equitable research and technical assistance, resulting in improved outcomes for all. 
 
SRI International, founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, is an independent, nonprofit research center. Serving government, industry, and foundation clients, we invent solutions that solve the most challenging problems today and look ahead to the needs of the future. As a nonprofit research institute, we are driven by impact, not shareholder value. SRI employs about 2,100 people worldwide, including scientists, engineers, technologists, policy researchers, and corporate and support staff; many are recognized leaders in their fields. 

SRI is committed to creating and celebrating a diverse workplace that recognizes and values differences and reflects the communities where our employees live and where our clients operate. This includes valuing differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, body type/physical appearance, disability/differently abled and work styles, or any other legally protected category.  

The salary range is: $90,000 to $120,000 annually. Salary ranges will vary and are based on several factors, including geographic location, market competitiveness and equity amongst internal employees in similar roles. Positions may also qualify for SRI's Pay for Outstanding Performance program or the annual Performance Based Compensation program.

SRI also has a competitive benefits package, to view details please go to https://www.sri.com/resources/benefits/. SRI is an independent nonprofit research institute headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., with a rich history of supporting government and industry. We create and deliver world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. For more than 75 years, we have collaborated across technical and scientific disciplines to discover and develop groundbreaking products and technologies and bring innovations and ideas to the marketplace.