Data Scientist Fellowship

LOVE JUSTICE INTERNATIONAL

7d

About The Position

Love Justice International (LJI) combats human trafficking through transit monitoring—intercepting potential victims at key transportation hubs, where traffickers and victims are most visible. Because trafficking is already underway at these points, our teams can gather vital information to assist law enforcement in arresting traffickers and disrupting trafficking networks. To date, LJI has intercepted over 100,000 individuals, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests. For more information on our impact, visit our website: lovejustice.ngo. In addition, LJI operates 14 family homes for orphaned and abandoned children in South Asia, and since 2015 has provided an excellent education at our ‘Dream School’ to the children who live in our Family Homes.
Our approach to maximizing mission impact involves a process we call "Impact Engineering." Our data scientists are part of a dedicated Impact Engineering Team that develops, refines, and improves our core processes by creating practical, data-driven models that become the engines of our tools to drive impact. By continuously testing, refining, and standardizing these models, we ensure consistent, measurable, and scalable impact across all our programs. This team's innovative work directly supports our frontline staff and helps optimize our interventions, enabling Love Justice to deliver the greatest possible impact per dollar spent.
LJI prioritizes a rigorous, data-driven approach to maximize impact and minimize harm. We use careful data collection and analysis to measure our effectiveness, continually refining and improving our anti-trafficking interventions and care for the children in our Family Homes. Adhering to the principles of “be scientific” and "fail fast and often," we test innovative ideas quickly, discard what doesn't work, and scale interventions proven to produce the greatest measurable good per dollar spent. This disciplined, iterative approach helps us remain accountable to our mission, ensuring that every action we take truly benefits those we serve.
The primary duty of the Data Scientist is to bring data science, mathematical, and statistical methodologies to bear on the evaluation and execution of key program strategies. The Data Scientist will report to the Lead Data Scientist. The position is based in South Africa. Remote work will be considered on an individual basis.

Requirements

• Mature Christian faith and agreement with our Global Value to “Abide in Christ”
• Knowledge, understanding, and agreement with how the Christian Gospel ministers to “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40) and guides us in our mission
• Agreement with our Core Value “Be the Kingdom”(in mission execution and personal conduct)
• Acknowledgment of our Statement of Faith
• Passion for justice and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of assessing complex issues and finding systematic solutions
• Ability to multi-task and manage various projects simultaneously
• A master's degree or higher (doctoral degree preferred) in data science, research methods, statistics in the social sciences, or a related field
• Proficiency in Python, R or an equivalent programming language

Responsibilities

• Use data, statistical analysis, and modeling to generate insights that advance Love Justice’s anti-trafficking efforts, child-focused programs in South Asia, and organizational learning
• Apply analytical findings to support real-world action, including informing anti-trafficking operations and investigations, improving program design, and strengthening accountability
• Develop and maintain objective measures of impact, including assessing child wellbeing and benchmarking outcomes against relevant populations where appropriate
• Design, build, and continuously improve predictive assessments that support consistent, effective hiring across a range of roles
• Establish and document reproducible analytical workflows and standards, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of data systems, metrics, and data quality across the organization
• Build and maintain a team of financial supporters through regular communication and updates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level