Sr. Data Analyst

Job Description Summary:

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center aims to accelerate states’ implementation of evidence- based policies that help all children thrive from the start.

We seek an experienced Senior Research Data Analyst to provide data management and analysis expertise to projects across the Center. The role primarily includes original survey and program data cleaning, data management, and statistical analyses for a portfolio of original research and evaluation projects. The Policy Impact Center’s research seeks to build the evidence base in key areas related to the impact of state policies and programs on outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families. The role of the Senior Research Data Analyst is essential for transforming raw data into research assets, ensuring the validity and credibility of the Center’s research, resolving complex data challenges, and supporting timely research-based deliverables.

This Senior Research Data Analyst position provides essential data expertise and rigorous analytic support and guidance to a team of data researchers responsible for supporting the Center’s goals to build the evidence base for effective and equitable policymaking, track state progress in building a more effective and equitable system of care, and shape policy development in states through targeted assistance and support.

General Notes:

This position is a term appointment for 12 months beginning upon date of hire, and reports functionally and administratively to the Director of Data and Analytics, Kels Bowman. Applicants from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse environment to continue to build a strong and equitable prenatal-to-3 system of care. This position can be performed remotely, and hybrid remote-work opportunities are available. Visa sponsorship is unavailable for this position.

The primary responsibilities of the position include: Data management, analysis, research, and writing:

• Contribute to the development of research questions, study designs, analytic plans, and methodological approaches for original research and evaluation projects

• Manage survey data cleaning and preparation, including guiding processes for data collection and testing, providing support in developing the analytic plan and analysis timeline, implementing quality assurance protocols and detailed documentation, constructing clean, validated analytic datasets that serve as the foundation for the Center’s portfolio of original research

• Contribute to the development, programming, testing, and refinement of surveys, including reviewing measures, response options, skip logic, and data structures to ensure alignment with research questions and analytic plans

• Work independently with messy, real-world data and exercise judgment in resolving data quality issues, missing data, and documentation challenges, ensuring analytic datasets are defensible

• Acquire, manage, and analyze raw datasets, including administrative data from state agencies and national longitudinal sources such as Census, with demonstrated ability to merge datasets, clean and prepare data for analysis, and assess representativeness, processes essential to the Center’s research goals

• Interpret data and independently select and apply appropriate statistical tests, analyze results, and provide ongoing reports

• Contribute to and/or lead the production of written products and academic publications translating the results of policy research and analyses into actionable insights for stakeholders and state policymakers.

Project management and leadership:

• Ensure the methodological quality, validity, and integrity of all research analyses conducted, considering the most rigorous possible analytic approaches, appropriate assumptions and interpretation, and careful documentation

• Communicate effectively with key project staff to ensure they are appropriately informed of project progress, key decisions, and emerging issues

• Take a leadership role in managing data processes including data collection, management, and analysis

• Monitor compliance with data security and data retention policies to maintain and ensure

the integrity of the Center’s data and research

• Coordinate with clients and stakeholders, as necessary to obtain and manage administrative datasets

• Contribute to developing and improving processes and procedures

• Mentor and train staff in survey data cleaning, analytic workflows, and team processes

• Monitor and supervise students to effectively contribute to projects

Supervisory Relationships:

This position may supervise students and does not have staff supervisory responsibility.

Required/Essential qualifications:

• Exceptional interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with others in a team environment

• Experience conducting data management, cleaning, and analysis using original survey data

• Strong skills in R

• Exceptional analytic and critical thinking skills

• Excellent project management and organizational skills, strong problem-solving abilities, tenacity about details and organization

• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex concepts clearly and concisely

• Experience contributing to original research or program evaluation projects, including developing analytic plans, documenting methods, and interpreting findings

• Ability to come up to speed on new topics quickly, multi-task effectively, and produce high-quality work under time constraints; flexible and able to adapt to changing timelines and circumstances when needed

• Demonstrated understanding and support for key concepts in diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment

• Master’s degree with major coursework in the field of assignment, plus at least three years of related experience; Additional related experience may substitute for required education

Preferred skills:

• Experience providing supervision and guidance to other staff

• Skills in Stata

• Graduate-level coursework or applied experience in research methods, survey methodology, program evaluation, causal inference, or applied statistics

• Experience with survey data tools (e.g., REDCap, Qualtrics)

• Knowledge of and familiarity with topics related to early childhood and/or social policy

Coding Test Requirement:

As part of the selection process, competitive candidates will be asked to complete a 2-hour coding test. This test will assess your proficiency in coding, analyzing, and interpreting data. To complete the exercise, candidates will need access to a computer with R software.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich