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.
Responsibilities
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.
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
Requirements
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
Nice-to-haves
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
Benefits
Visa sponsorship is unavailable for this position.