Who We Are In cities across the country, people face high rates of gun violence, under-resourced schools, and social harms associated with the criminal justice system -- all of which disproportionately impact people of color. These inequalities have profound consequences on public safety and opportunity. As a society we have failed to address these challenges, in part, because of our lack of understanding of the most effective and cost-effective solutions that can have a real impact on people's lives. We believe that rigorous research can help.
The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab partner with cities and communities to use data and rigorous research to design, test, and scale programs and policies that enhance public safety, improve educational outcomes, and advance justice. Our mission is to combine world-class data science and research, in partnership with government agencies, to substantially improve the effectiveness of the public sector and achieve impact at scale. To learn more about the Crime Lab and Education Lab, visit https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/labs/crime.
The Role: The UChicago Crime Lab and Urban Education Lab are seeking an experienced Analytics Manager with strong technical skills to work on large-scale social policy experiments designed to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of youth violence prevention and educational interventions. The Analytics Manager will lead a team of analysts, work on a small portfolio of projects across the areas of both criminal justice and education, develop and manage processes and procedures for collaborative data access and use, and support broader organizational development activities. The successful candidate will have experience in applying a variety of statistical modeling approaches to large datasets in real-world settings. From project inception to delivery, the Analytics Manager will contribute to all facets of data collection & cleaning, model development, and implementation. This position requires an individual who is able to work as a part of small research teams running multiple projects concurrently, and can work with multiple departments across the organization to implement ideas. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers, at the University of Chicago and NYC-area universities, local city agency staff, as well as a team of administrative staff, other analysts, research managers, and student research assistant.
Job Summary
The job independently designs, performs analysis, and publishes results from research projects, applying statistical methods from proposal phase through report phase. Develops objectives, designing sampling, randomization, and data collection procedures. Develops and implements new innovative procedures in the areas of data collection, quality control, statistical analyses, and presentation of results.
Responsibilities
Manages a small team of Research Analysts.
Leads data analysis and management on a small portfolio of research projects by cleaning, merging, matching, sampling, modeling, and randomizing data.
Prepares results for memos, spreadsheets, and presentations targeting both policymakers and academic researchers.
Serves as an in-house expert for one or more key administrative datasets, and advises research staff to ensure consistent use of data.
Provides consultation to staff on advanced statistical techniques such as randomization, power calculations, data transformations, econometrics, etc.
In partnership with Associate Director of Data and Analytics, Research Directors, Executive Director, and/or Sr. Research Managers assists with internal coordination and management of data requests to partner agencies.
Supports development and management of data operations, which could include quality assurance processes, creating code standards, and building templates and tools for data management and visualization.
Partners with the Talent Manager to help recruit, screen, and hire new talent, and create data exercises and other recruitment and onboarding tools.
Works with the management team on issues of organizational development and leadership, potentially including identifying areas for staff development and professional development.
May supervise other research staff and provide guidance on professional development, goal setting, and lab- or organization-wide opportunities.
May serve on committees, supervise project personnel, and coordinate quality control efforts to support the efforts and ensure success of research projects. Writes the results section of reports and publications.
Develops new and innovative procedures in the areas of data collection, quality control, statistical analyses, and presentation of results. Reviews and improves statistical computer programs.
Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
--- Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
--- Certifications:
---
Preferred Qualifications
Experience:
A minimum of three years of relevant research experience.
Managing analytic staff.
Working with large, complex, and/or administrative datasets.
Working with field experiments or randomized controlled trials.
Program evaluation methods (e.g., difference-in-differences, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity).
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
Experience working with R, Python, Stata, or other programming languages.
Preferred Competencies
Strong interest in social policy.
Strong quantitative skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work in Git and familiarity with Gitlab or Github.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Excellent data visualization ability.
Ability to work both independently and as a team member.
Ability to work discretely with sensitive and confidential data.
Knowledge and understanding of crime policy, violence and/or education research literature.
Application Documents
Resume (required)
Cover Letter (required)
Optionally, you may submit a code sample demonstrating your proficiency in analytic programming. You may submit either a link to a public GitHub repository or a text file containing the code sample. The sample does not need to be a end-to-end project (100-200 lines would be ideal). If you choose to submit a sample, please submit a very brief explanation of what the code is intended to accomplish and how it fits into the larger project for which the sample was created.
When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Research
Role Impact
Individual Contributor
FLSA Status
Exempt
Pay Frequency
Monthly
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Benefits Eligible
Yes
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
