Senior Data Scientist - US Based Remote Opportunity

ABOUT US

Do you have a passion for higher education? Do you want to make a positive impact on the college admissions process? Our staff help to remove barriers and encourage students to forge their path to a better future. Common App is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year we support more than 1 million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, as they apply to our nearly 1100 diverse member colleges & universities using the Common App's free online application.

If you are an experienced Senior Data Scientist professional and want to be part of a mission-driven non-profit that uses innovative technology to advance the college admission process, Common App may be a great match for you. Common App is currently searching for a Senior Data Scientist.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Data Scientist position is charged with helping to build the organization’s evolving research and analytic function. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, Analytics and Research, the individual will be engaged with all aspects of the research function, including the production of externally facing research products, management of external research partnerships, and applied research in support of data-informed Common App initiatives.

The Senior Data Scientist will apply advanced training and experience in data science, research methodology, and data visualization to execute the research agenda and deploy products that support Common App’s commitment to access and equity across the organization’s functional areas. They will also collaborate closely with our Communications and Leadership teams to maximize the impact of our public- and constituent-facing research products, supporting strategic engagement with other thought leaders, media, and other constituents.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

This role requires:

• Candidates must live in the United States.
• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative social sciences discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Economics, Education Policy, Education Measurement, Psychometrics, Computational Psychology, etc.) or related quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics)
• At least 5-8 years related experience in data analysis, data communication and/or visualization, data analytics, data science, or descriptive and/or causal quantitative social science research.
• 2+ years of experience working more specifically in data analysis, data science, or social science research in the field of higher education, secondary education, economics of education, and/or education policy.
• Fluent data manipulation and coding with SQL and R.
• Experience working with and validating imperfect data.
• Experience managing analyses for large-scale, interconnected datasets (e.g., memory management, parallel computing, complex join logic, etc.)
• Experience with descriptive and inferential statistics. 
• Experience with data visualization (Tableau, R preferred).
• Experience working with National Center for Education Statistics, Census, College Scorecard, National Student Clearinghouse, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and other publicly available datasets relevant to education.
• Understanding of the strategic context of Common Application’s role in the higher education industry. 
• Substantial project work as an individual contributor and experience in successfully translating insights from large-scale data sources into business action or product services.
• Strong interpersonal skills and service orientation.
• Proven ability for communicating data and research findings to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative and diverse environment.  
• Proficiency or experience with at least one of the following domain areas: natural language processing methodologies (especially large language models), predictive analytics and modeling, surveying methodology and analysis, data-driven recommendation systems, and/or clustering analysis (e.g., latent profile analysis, latent class analysis, etc.).

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Advanced degree in a quantitative social sciences discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Economics, Education Policy, Education Measurement, Psychometrics, Computational Psychology, etc.) or related quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics)
• Experience with cloud computing and analytics services (e.g., AWS Sagemaker, AWS S3, Databricks, RStudio Workbench/Server).
• Passion for, and experience in, higher education.
• Experience working with Agile frameworks for cross-functional, product-minded collaboration.

Pay Range:

$115,000 - $120,000

Benefits

Common App is a virtual first environment. We value our employees’ time and efforts. Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive salary and an extensive benefits package including: 

• Work-Life balance
• Virtual-first office
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Seven company-wide holidays
• Nine floating holidays*
• Sick leave
• Monthly mental health day

*floating holidays prorated depending on start date

• Virtual-first support
• Choice of PC of MAC laptop
• May choose an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and/or headset
• One-time office set-up stipend
• Monthly remote work stipend
• Monthly mobile stipend
• Financial security
• Market-based salaries
• Performance-based bonus
• 403(b) retirement plan
• 5% company contribution
• additional 5% company match
• 3-year vesting schedule
• Participation may begin immediately
• Health & wellness
• Choice of two health insurance plans
• Health Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Medical Flexible Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Insurance coverage begins on the date of hire
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Maven virtual clinic for women’s and family health
• Company provided life and ad&d insurance
• Opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for self, spouse, and dependents
• Company provided short and long-term disability insurance
• Career development
• Budgeted annual funds for professional development
• Growth opportunities within the company
• Additional perks
• Mutual of Omaha Employee Assistance Program
• Mutual of Omaha will preparation services
• Mutual of Omaha travel assistance
• Payroll dedication pet insurance through PinPaws
• 1Password family account

We work to maintain the best possible environment for our staff, where people can learn and grow. We strive to provide a diverse, collaborative, team-oriented, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

HOW DO I APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations.