JOB SUMMARY

The University of Connecticut School of Social Work seeks qualified applicants for an open position as the Senior Data Analyst (Research Assistant 3) or Lead Data Analyst (Research Associate 1).

This position will support the Innovations Institute’s growing portfolio of research and evaluation activities in partnership with local, state, and federal government agencies and organizations on behalf of children, youth, and families. The Innovations Institute advances research-based, inclusive, culturally responsive, and transformative solutions for child-, youth-, and family-serving public systems through implementation support, workforce development, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) expertise. Positions with the Innovations Institute are fully remote, with expected travel to UConn’s Hartford Campus once annually at the employee’s expense. Innovations staff must reside in the United States. A VISA sponsorship is not possible for this position. 

Innovations research staff compile and analyze data and present findings to various stakeholder groups with the goal of guiding systems and programs in their efforts to improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. Our work specifically focuses on translating evidence-based and promising practices to the field to inform best practices and identify needs for future research. Under the supervision of the Innovations research faculty, the Lead Data Analyst will focus primarily on data management, analysis, and visualization to support evaluation and CQI activities. The successful candidate will support the management, cleaning, analysis, and reporting of data related to public behavioral health service utilization, satisfaction, fidelity, and/or outcome measures consistent with contractual reporting requirements. Specifically, successful candidates will support initiatives aimed at using large administrative datasets to provide guidance to state and local leaders for strategic planning of behavioral health service arrays.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage data sets, such as merging, recoding, and cleaning data using statistical software packages (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, STATA), and ensure that data are ready for analysis.
• Perform quantitative analyses that will provide actionable insights.
• Develop and use data visualization templates to facilitate insights from the data collected for internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to written products for multiple audiences including academic manuscripts, public-facing one-pagers, and technical reports for decision-makers.
• Summarize relevant background literature to help interpret findings from data analyses and write literature reviews. 
• Contribute to CQI and evaluation plans, including the study design, sampling, measurement, data collection procedures, and data analysis strategies.
• Work with stakeholders to efficiently identify research needs supporting CQI and evaluation goals.
• Provide technical assistance to service providers and public agencies in developing data collection procedures, building data collection instruments, regularly reviewing data, and providing feedback to resolve data quality issues.
• Contribute to and manage work plans.
• Perform related duties as required.

Opportunities May Include

• Present work to various audiences, including at meetings, webinars, and academic conferences.
• Co-author academic manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
• Contribute to the development and writing of federal, state, and private grant proposals.
• Serve as a subject matter expert related to CQI efforts, program evaluation, and quantitative data analysis.
• Mentor other members of the research team, develop training, and provide continued guidance on data collection, analysis, and storage. 
• Serve as an expert resource to others internally and externally.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Senior Data Analyst (Research Assistant 3):

• Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Education, Public Policy, Mathematics, Statistics, Information Management, Economics, Health Science, or in another field of study related to the research and four to five years of post-degree experience, OR Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Education, Public Policy, Mathematics, Statistics, Information Management, Economics, Health Science, or in another field of study related to the research and two to four years of post-degree experience.
• Evidence of skill in statistical programming, data/statistical analysis, and interpreting findings using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, STATA) as well as spreadsheet applications.
• Experience merging, cleaning, and analyzing large administrative datasets.
• Knowledge of statistics, including but not limited to bivariate, multivariate, and inferential statistics.
• Experience creating visually appealing and clearly understood visualizations to communicate key findings from data analysis.
• Knowledge of design of research studies, data collection procedures, and analytic planning.
• Ability to understand and utilize scientific terminology and research theory.
• Knowledge about regulations and ability to maintain the confidentiality of subjects and information obtained.
• Evidence of strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects at once, respond to tight timelines, pay attention to detail, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Lead Data Analyst (Research Associate 1):

• Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Education, Public Policy, Mathematics, Statistics, Information Management, Economics, Health Science, or in another field of study related to the research and eight to ten years’ experience OR Ph.D. with up to one year of post-degree experience.
• Evidence of skill in statistical programming, data/statistical analysis, and interpreting findings using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, STATA) as well as spreadsheet applications.
• Experience merging, cleaning, and analyzing large administrative datasets.
• Knowledge of statistics, including but not limited to bivariate, multivariate, and inferential statistics.
• Experience creating visually appealing and clearly understood visualizations to communicate key findings from data analysis.
• Knowledge of design of research studies, data collection procedures, and analytic planning.
• Ability to understand and utilize scientific terminology and research theory.
• Knowledge about regulations and ability to maintain the confidentiality of subjects and information obtained.
• Evidence of strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects at once, respond to tight timelines, pay attention to detail, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of commonly used coding languages (e.g., R, python, SQL) that may be used in the application of data management, analysis, and visualization.
• Experience developing workflows and reports within Power BI or similar data visualization software.
• Knowledge of implementation science, rapid-cycle evaluation, and data visualization.
• Ability to convey complex information in writing and orally so that it is easily understood by stakeholders and organizations.
• Experience developing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders and internal colleagues to develop research agendas related to outcomes, feedback, and evaluations.
• Experience understanding and translating requests from non-technical stakeholders and internal colleagues into actionable analyses and visualizations.
• Experience performing literature reviews and presenting results.
• Willing to learn new software and languages based on project needs.
• Data visualization skills with Tableau or a comparable visualization software is preferred. 

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, end-date position subject to renewal based on funding and satisfactory performance. Positions with the Innovations Institute are fully remote, subject to the Alternate Work Arrangements Policy and employees are expected to travel to UConn’s Hartford Campus once a year. Occasional sponsor-funded travel to contracting states and sites may also be required. Compensation and rank will be based on experience and will range from $80,000 to $105,000 depending on qualifications.  A generous benefits package is provided that includes health, retirement, paid time off, employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn, and other benefits. For additional information regarding benefits, visit: https://hr.uconn.edu/benefits-beyond-pay/. Other rights, terms, and conditions of employment are contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

Positions with the Innovations Institute are fully remote, with expected travel to UConn’s Hartford Campus once annually at the employee’s expense.  Preference will be given to local, Connecticut-resident candidates. A VISA sponsorship is not possible for this position. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY

Please apply online at https://hr.uconn.edu/jobs, Staff Positions, Search #498625 to upload a resume, cover letter, writing sample , and contact information for three (3) professional references.

This job posting will remain open until the position is filled, although preference will be given to applications received by October 1, 2024. 

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.

The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer.