Data Scientist I - Computational Research, Statistics & Machine Learning

JOB SUMMARY: DEPARTMENT:  Statistics and Data Science RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Apply statistical, computational, and machine learning methods to support survey research, evaluation studies, and other social science research initiatives
• 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.
• Apply machine learning, AI, and natural language processing methods and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to design, evaluate, and deploy AI-enabled analytic applications.
• Write and implement R, and Python programs to extract/manipulate data, link complex datasets, and execute statistical and machine learning analyses.
• 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; apply statistical disclosure limitation for public releases and restricted-use data.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor's degree in computational social science, data science, statistics, computer science or a related quantitative field.
• 4 years of relevant experience including graduate research, internships, and applied professional experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency developing production-quality code in Python.
• Strong experience with SQL and relational databases.
• Experience developing software, data pipelines, or analytical applications.
• Experience conducting statistical analysis and machine learning using real-world datasets.
• Knowledge of supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods.
• Experience working with Git and collaborative development workflows.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills.
• Ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Skills:              

• 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).
• Experience applying data disclosure limitation (SDL) and data privacy methods, including risk assessment and mitigation for public data releases.
• Experience with R or SAS
• Experience analyzing healthcare, survey, administrative, or other large-scale observational datasets, especially healthcare claims data.
• Experience with record linkage.

Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Please include a Resume and Cover Letter when applying. Candidates should be prepared to provide professional references upon request.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: 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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