Associate Data Scientist

University of Southern California; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 99,823 - 116,656; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern California's Office of Institutional Research is seeking an Associate Data Scientist to design, build, and deploy analytics solutions that inform leadership and priorities. You will work with complex data, modern tools, and cross-functional stakeholders in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities include analyzing large datasets, developing ML models, building data pipelines, and delivering dashboards and reports that communicate insights clearly

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in data science, data analytics, or a related field.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL for data analysis and manipulation.
• Experience with relational and/or non-relational databases (e.g., MySQL, SQL Server, Snowflake, MongoDB).
• Experience building ETL pipelines and data workflows.
• Experience designing data architecture or automated data systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and interpret medium to large datasets to support institutional decision making.
• Build, test, and optimize statistical, predictive, and machine learning models.
• Develop and deploy data pipelines, workflows, and automated processes.
• Partner with stakeholders to translate business needs into analytical solutions.
• Perform data cleansing, validation, and transformation to ensure data integrity.
• Design and evaluate experiments, including A/B testing methodologies.
• Create reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate insights clearly.
• Monitor project timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communications.
• Maintain technical documentation and support continuous process improvement.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data analysis

Communication

Statistical modeling

Machine learning

Data visualization

ETL pipelines

Education

Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics/CS/Statistics

Master's degree in Data Science/CS/Statistics

Tools

Airflow

Tableau

Power BI

Git

Snowflake

Job description

Associate Data Scientist (Institutional Research)

Please submit a resume and cover letter as part of your application.

Shape data-driven decision making at USC. Join the University of Southern California's Office of Institutional Research and help power data-informed strategy at a leading research institution. In this role, you will design, build, and deploy analytics solutions that inform university leadership and institutional priorities. Work with complex datasets, modern data tools, and cross-functional stakeholders in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and interpret medium to large datasets to solve data analytic problems in support of institutional decision making
• Build, test, and optimize statistical, predictive, and machine learning models
• Develop and deploy data pipelines, workflows, and automated processes
• Partner with stakeholders to translate business needs into analytical solutions
• Perform data cleansing, validation, and transformation to ensure data integrity
• Design and evaluate experiments, including A/B testing methodologies
• Create reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate insights clearly
• Monitor project timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communications
• Maintain technical documentation and support continuous process improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field
• Experience building and maintaining ETL pipelines and data workflows
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow (DAG development)
• Experience with machine learning or statistical modeling techniques
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, D3.js)
• Experience working with large-scale or enterprise datasets
• Familiarity with Git, version control, and testing frameworks
• Experience designing data architecture or automated data systems

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum 2 years of experience in data science, data analytics, or a related field
• Proficiency in Python and SQL for data analysis and data manipulation
• Experience working with relational and/or non-relational databases (e.g., MySQL, SQL Server, Snowflake, MongoDB)
• Experience performing data cleaning, transformation, and validation
• Demonstrated ability to analyze datasets and deliver actionable insights
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Salary and Benefits

The annual base salary range for this position is $99,823 - $116,656. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, and applicable laws and guidelines. USC provides benefits-eligible employees with a broad range of benefits as part of the overall compensation and total rewards package. You can learn more about USC's comprehensive benefits here.

Apply

If you are excited to solve complex data challenges and contribute to meaningful institutional impact, please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered.

Job ID: REQ20174846