Data Scientist, Early Childhood Policy Research Group

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

5d•$100,000 - $115,000

About The Position

The Data Scientist III provides data science, measurement, analytic, and data engineering support across a portfolio of early childhood research, service, and policy initiatives within the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies and the Early Childhood Policy Research Group (ECPRG). This position is time-limited and soft-funded.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree in data science, statistics, bioinformatics, analytics, or similar field and five years of experience; Master’s Degree in data science, statistics, bioinformatics, analytics, or similar field and three years of experience; Doctoral Degree in data science, statistics, bioinformatics, analytics, or similar field and one year of experience.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience in measurement, including construct definition, indicator and composite index development, and evaluation of reliability and validity evidence.
Demonstrated competence across quantitative and analytic methods, with the judgment to select methods appropriate to the question and the constraints of the data.
Demonstrated experience working with large, complex administrative or longitudinal datasets, including reasoning about data structure, variable definitions, and units of analysis across linked sources.
Proficiency in R and/or Python for data management and statistical analysis and proficiency in SQL for relational database work.
Experience building or maintaining production data pipelines.
Experience working with restricted or confidential data under formal data sharing, IRB, or comparable governance requirements.
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings precisely to technical and non-technical audiences through written products and presentations.
Demonstrated ability to work independently across multiple concurrent projects with differing data sources, methods, substantive areas, and deliverable formats, including scoping assigned work, managing timelines, and delivering externally facing analytic products.

Responsibilities

Construct, validate, maintain, and annually refresh CNA indicators at the state, coalition, county, and sub-county levels, including composite measures and indices such as the Florida Index of Child Care Access (FLICCA).
Apply and maintain operational definitions and indicator logic for need, supply, demand, access, affordability, and service gaps, and recommend refinements to the ECPRG Principal.
Evaluate measurement quality using appropriate statistical and psychometric criteria, including reliability, construct and criterion validity evidence, dimensionality, scaling and weighting, and stability across time and reporting units.
Select and apply quantitative methods appropriate to the research or policy question and the available data, including descriptive and inferential analyses, trend and change analysis, benchmarking, comparisons across reporting units, and defensible treatment of missing, suppressed, or small cell data.
Apply small number suppression, disclosure avoidance, and reporting thresholds to all coalition-facing products.
Conduct sensitivity and robustness checks and document assumptions, limitations, and known sources of bias.
Maintain working knowledge of the Sunshine Portal data structure and data elements across contributing sources, including School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten, SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, IDEA Part B and BEESS, Homeless Education, Bureau of Vital Statistics, HIPPY, and Children's Medical Services Title XXI records.
Maintain data element documentation, including codebooks, variable definitions, valid value ranges, derivation logic, and crosswalks, and update documentation as agency systems and reporting requirements change.
Implement data quality standards and automated processes for validation, anomaly detection, completeness, and coverage, and resolve data issues with originating agencies.
Resolve structural and methodological questions affecting measurement validity, including unit of analysis alignment across child, household, provider, and coalition levels; enrollment and eligibility periods; fiscal year and reporting period boundaries; and changes in definitions or data series.
Maintain data models, schemas, and secure storage environments in accordance with applicable data sharing agreements, FERPA, HIPAA where applicable, and UF requirements for restricted data.
Maintain reproducible, version-controlled codebases and technical documentation sufficient for audit, replication, and continuity of operations.
Provide data science and analytic support for The Children's Trust Thrive by 5 (TB5) contract, including project-specific measurement, data integration, reporting, quality improvement, and evaluation activities.
Translate contract requirements and project objectives into analytic plans, measures, data structures, workflows, and reporting products in consultation with project leadership.
Develop, maintain, and analyze datasets required for TB5 performance monitoring, quality improvement, program analysis, and other contracted deliverables.
Produce dashboards, analyses, reports, tables, figures, and technical documentation required by the TB5 contract and related ECPRG initiatives.
Collaborate with project leadership and external partners to identify data needs, assess data quality and feasibility, resolve analytic issues, and ensure that reported results are traceable to documented methods and source data.
Reuse appropriate data infrastructure, analytic methods, documentation, and measurement approaches across the Sunshine Portal, TB5, and other projects while preserving project-specific requirements and definitions.
Provide data engineering, measurement, and analytic support across the ECPRG portfolio, including state contracts, foundation-funded studies, local and regional partnerships, and collaborative work obtained during the period of appointment.
Advise investigators and project leads on measurement approaches, analytic strategies, data acquisition feasibility, study design, and appropriate use and interpretation of data.
Onboard rapidly to new data sources, research questions, substantive areas, and deliverable formats as new collaborations and funded projects are initiated.
Support data acquisition and governance activities for new projects, including scoping data needs, contributing to data sharing agreement requests, and assessing whether available data can answer proposed questions.
Contribute analyses, tables, figures, methods documentation, technical reports, policy briefs, manuscripts, grant proposals, and presentations across the portfolio.
Provide day-to-day technical guidance to data analysts, research staff, and graduate assistants working on assigned data and analytic activities.
Review analytic code, measurement specifications, and data products for quality, reproducibility, and methodological soundness.
Apply and help maintain analytic standards, coding conventions, version control practices, and documentation procedures for the ECPRG data team.
Maintain technical workplans and timelines for assigned deliverables, anticipate data and operational risks, and communicate priorities, risks, and resource constraints to the ECPRG Principal.
Participate in technical working groups, data governance discussions, and project meetings with state agencies, The Children's Trust, coalition partners, researchers, and other collaborators.
Complete required University training and pursue professional development, including conferences, workshops, and coursework relevant to data science, measurement, and early childhood policy.
Provide general administrative and operational support to the ECPRG, including onboarding assistance for new staff and graduate assistants, software and licensing requests, and records maintenance for the data team.