Global Senior Data Processing Specialist

ICF•Rockville, MD

1d•Remote

About The Position

ICF is seeking an experienced Senior Data Processing Specialist to provide technical leadership for data processing, digital data collection, and data-related innovation under The DHS Program and other large-scale surveys in low- and middle-income countries. The role leads the design, testing, deployment, and support of complex computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) systems and associated data-processing activities across multiple country surveys. It is a senior, hands-on position focused on resolving complex technical and data-quality problems, strengthening the skills of specialists, consultants, and country counterparts, and promoting consistent technical practices across the survey portfolio. The specialist will also work with AI engineers and other colleagues to pilot, evaluate, and improve AI-assisted data-processing tools, including anomaly detection, and identify processing tasks that can be safely automated. The position requires international travel approximately 20 to 30 percent of the time, including trips that may last several weeks.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, mathematics, statistics, demography, public health, data science, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in survey data processing, digital data collection, software development, data management, or related technical work, including substantial experience supporting large-scale population, health, facility, or similarly complex surveys.
At least 5 years of experience designing, developing, testing, deploying, and supporting CAPI applications, including advanced proficiency with CSPro.
At least 5 years of programming and problem-solving experience using Python, Java, C#, JavaScript, or another general-purpose programming language.
At least 1 year of experience with survey data validation, quality assurance, processing, and preparation of analysis-ready datasets, and with diagnosing and resolving complex software, systems, and data-quality problems.
Experience training, mentoring, or providing technical leadership to staff, consultants, or country counterparts.
Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Ability to manage competing priorities and support multiple surveys at different stages of implementation.
Advanced technical expertise, problem solving, and sound technical judgment.
Strong commitment to data quality, security, and reproducibility.
Technical leadership and mentoring skills.
Cross-functional and cross-cultural collaboration skills.
Adaptability in complex international environments.
Responsible application of new technologies.
All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a relevant technical, statistical, demographic, or public health discipline.
Experience with The DHS Program or a comparable international survey program such as MICS, LSMS, PHIA, or national census operations.
Expert-level CSPro programming and application development experience.
Experience with Survey Solutions, ODK, SurveyCTO, KoboToolbox, or another digital data-collection platform.
Experience with Stata, R, SPSS, SAS, or another statistical and data-analysis package.
Experience with software development practices such as source control, code review, automated testing, and AI-assisted development tools, and with building reusable components or data-processing pipelines.
Experience applying machine learning, AI, or statistical methods to data validation or anomaly detection.
Experience with statistical disclosure control or data privacy practices for microdata.
Experience working with national statistical offices, ministries of health, or other government implementing agencies in low- and middle-income countries.
Professional working proficiency in French, Portuguese, Spanish, or another language relevant to the DHS Program country portfolio.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, programming, testing, deployment, and maintenance of complex CAPI applications for population and facility surveys using CSPro and other appropriate technologies.
Translate questionnaires, skip patterns, validation rules, sample-management requirements, biomarker protocols, and other survey specifications into reliable, user-friendly data-collection applications.
Lead technical readiness reviews and support pretests, training, survey launches, and initial fieldwork.
Diagnose and resolve complex application, device, synchronization, communications, and data-quality problems.
Provide technical oversight for survey data processing, including automated quality checks, standardized tabulations, dataset preparation, metadata, anonymization, and disclosure protection.
Ensure consistency among questionnaires, CAPI applications, datasets, tabulation specifications, and final survey outputs.
Develop reusable code, testing procedures, documentation, templates, and technical guidance to improve quality and efficiency across surveys.
Provide senior technical guidance and mentoring to Data Processing Specialists, consultants, and country counterparts, and advise Survey Managers and Survey Portfolio Managers on technical issues.
Lead training and capacity strengthening for in-country data-processing staff, IT personnel, trainers, supervisors, and other technical counterparts, including on appropriate use of new tools.
Collaborate with survey managers, statisticians, survey methodologists, biomarker specialists, GIS specialists, analysts, and other technical experts.
Work with AI engineers and other teammates to pilot, evaluate, and improve AI-assisted data-processing tools, such as anomaly detection for data quality, before scaling them.
Identify data-processing tasks that could be safely automated and help develop reusable scripts or pipelines to automate them.
Contribute to standards for testing, documentation, expert review, and confidentiality when automated and AI-assisted tools are used with survey data.
Capture lessons learned and help translate successful innovations into sustainable tools, standards, and operating procedures.