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Iowa State University Department of Human Development and Family Studies is hiring a Data Analyst to advance the development of a statewide integrated data system to inform early childhood social policy. The Analyst will work with diverse partners including university researchers (faculty, students, and staff) and state agency data specialists and program leaders. Led by Project Directors Heather Rouse and Cassandra Dorius, the collaborative team engages in partnership-based work with State of Iowa stakeholders in the Departments of Education, Public Health, Human Services, Human Rights, and Management to inform evidence-based policy and practice in the areas of early childhood, family poverty, child welfare, and school readiness (see http://www.hdfs.hs.iastate.edu/ for more information about the HDFS department including faculty homepages). This specific team of investigators specializes in working with large, state administrative datasets as well as national datasets to understand early risk and protective experiences in home and neighborhood contexts, child and family involvement with public service systems such as health or child welfare, and the relations between these experiences and well being outcomes for young children and their families.

The Analyst will be responsible for implementing tools to analyze complex administrative datasets to inform statewide policy and program evaluation efforts. The Analyst will work within a data science team comprised of Faculty Directors, professional and scientific staff, and graduate and undergraduate students to apply fundamental data science concepts, practices and procedures to complete complex, non-standard and widely varied assignments. The Analyst must exhibit proficiency with data management and basic statistical analysis techniques conducted in Stata or R, and familiarity with Excel.

The ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail, capacity to work independently with a high-level of analytic ability, ability to manage multiple projects efficiently to meet deadlines and produce deliverables, coordinate with technical consultants as needed, and work within all state and federal regulations surrounding confidentiality and privacy protection, including FERPA and HIPPA.  Strong communication skills are necessary to be successful in this position, including the ability to explain complex programming syntax and logic and to clearly document highly technical processes and findings.

Data Management and Profiling.   

• Maintain primary responsibility for implementing and documenting data programming processes including ingestion, profiling, and cataloging data from multiple sources to determine conformance to standards and fit for purpose;
• Perform cleaning of complex, person-centered data that is received in multiple files and formats, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data, transforming data as necessary, and implementing rigorous data cleaning operations;
• Create analytic variables by combining and synthesizing complex administrative data, following rigorous analytic plans under direction of leadership team and principal investigators;
• Create analyzable datasets that safeguard privacy and limit re-identification of presented results, using procedures such as masking and suppression.
   

Data Analysis.                                                 

• Identify and reveal trends, patterns and relationships in data from multiple systems using STATA and/or R programming and data visualization tools (e.g., Rshiny dashboard, Leaflet, QGIS/ArcGIS, Tableau);
• Execution of basic statistical techniques such as descriptive frequencies, correlations, comparison tests, and regression models;
• Contribute to analytic discussions to determine appropriate approaches to address policy-relevant questions using administrative datasets.

Documentation and Reporting.

• Prepare technical documents that detail complex procedures and results from data management, profiling, and analysis;
• Prepare visual and oral presentations of technical and analytical content for diverse audiences (inside and outside of academia), including policy briefs, presentations, and dashboards;
• Draft relevant sections of analytic reports for funders, state stakeholders, and academic audiences. Communication will be non-routine and will require discretion and thoughtful effort regarding data and findings that may be sensitive in nature.

Department Website:

https://www.hdfs.hs.iastate.edu/

Renewal of position contingent on funding

The University is in the process of implementing a new classification and compensation structure. The impending change is expected to be completed by Fall 2020. Any P&S employee hired through this posting may be assigned a new title and associated pay grade upon the employment start date (and after the initial offer), commensurate with qualifications required for the position. The duties and responsibilities of the posted position, in addition to compensation offered, will not be affected by this process.

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Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:

1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae

2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter

3) Contact Information for Three References

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

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This posting will close at 12:00 AM CST on the date listed below. The posting will no longer be available to apply to after 11:59 PM CST the day prior.

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