Computational Social Scientist

POWER USA; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Paid vacation

Education reimbursement

401(k) with employer match

Volunteer days

Job summary

GoodPower is seeking a Computational Social Scientist, Applied AI to join the Good Data Lab. You will use large-scale data, ML and AI to study energy, climate, politics, and behavior.

Develop scalable text, behavioral, and social data analyses, combining large language models with established computational methods to answer important questions. You will work with large public and proprietary datasets, validate methods, collaborate across departments, and present findings to technical and

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in computational social science, computer science, political science, sociology, psychology, economics, statistics, data science, or similar.
• Ability to develop original research questions, study designs, and robust inferences.
• Strong Python programming and reproducible analysis workflows.
• Experience with large, real-world datasets (admin, geospatial, voter, mobility, social media).
• Hands-on experience with LLMs programmatically via APIs or similar workflows.
• NLP methods including supervised classification, clustering, topic modeling, embeddings, dictionary methods.

Responsibilities

• Identify novel public and proprietary datasets and develop scalable analytical approaches.
• Design and lead original research questions on decarbonization, public opinion, and behavior.
• Acquire, integrate, and analyze complex datasets to reveal patterns in attitudes and behavior.
• Develop rigorous, reproducible computational methods; validate and compare approaches.
• Collaborate with research and program teams to connect findings to strategy and evaluation.
• Translate analyses into clear findings, visuals, and recommendations for audiences.

Skills

Python programming

Large datasets

Large language models

NLP methods

Statistical reasoning

Communication to technical audiences

Independent research

Dataset integration

Education

Graduate degree in computational social science / related quantitative field

Tools

APIs for LLMs

Job description

Remote-based in the US

Overview

GoodPower is a global organization working to unlock the economic potential of decarbonization through research, innovation, strategic communications, and disruptive technology. We focus on advancing more affordable and reliable energy, expanding economic opportunity, strengthening energy security, supporting healthier and more resilient communities, and accelerating the transition to a predictable, secure, modern low-carbon economy.

Operating at the intersection of data, digital media, emerging technology, behavioral research, and public engagement, GoodPower develops and deploys scalable strategies designed to accelerate the adoption of decarbonized technologies and infrastructure—including renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, energy storage, and electric transportation. Our work combines rigorous research and experimentation with advanced communications and innovation capabilities to better understand public attitudes, test effective interventions, and help build the social, economic, and market conditions necessary for large-scale transformation.

GoodPower is at a pivotal stage of organizational growth as we approach completion of the first year of our 2030 Strategic Plan. Over the next five years, we intend to significantly expand our reach, capabilities, and impact—investing deeply in innovation, AI-enabled systems, data and analytics, research and development, and next-generation communications infrastructure to help accelerate the global energy transition and the economic opportunities it creates.

Job Summary

GoodPower is an evidence-based, nimble, and adaptive organization that routinely evaluates our programs to measure impact. Over the last decade, we have continually tested and refined our approach, and have successfully built a set of program offerings that blend cost-efficiency, rigor, scale, and measurable impact. Our programs have demonstrated success through external evaluation, including with partners at Stanford, Yale, and George Mason Universities. We also collaborate regularly with research partners such as Analyst Institute, GrowProgress, One Minus Beta, and Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

The Computational Social Scientist, Applied AI will join GoodPower’s Good Data Lab, using large-scale data, computational social science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to answer important questions about energy, climate, politics, and behavior. The role will develop new ways to understand how people think, communicate, behave, and respond to GoodPower programs at a scale that would not be possible through traditional research methods alone.

This role will identify and analyze large public and proprietary datasets and develop scalable approaches for analyzing text, behavioral, political, and other forms of social data. The work will combine large language models with established computational methods such as supervised classification, clustering, topic modeling, embeddings, and dictionary-based analysis, with an emphasis on rigorous validation, reproducibility, and selecting methods that fit the research question.

This position reports to the Chief Research Officer. Travel will be required to departmental meetings, staff retreats, and other events to represent the department and organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Data and methodological innovation: Identify novel public and proprietary datasets, data-linkage opportunities, and emerging computational approaches that expand GoodPower’s ability to measure behavior, understand program impact, and study decarbonization at scale.
• Independent research: Develop and lead original research questions that advance GoodPower’s understanding of decarbonization, public opinion, civic participation, and behavior change. Design rigorous studies using appropriate computational, statistical, and other methods, and exercise scientific judgment about study design, inference, limitations, and the conclusions supported by the evidence.
• Large-scale data analysis: Acquire, integrate, and analyze complex datasets to uncover patterns in attitudes, behavior, communication, and political and social dynamics relevant to GoodPower’s work. Data may include behavioral, administrative, geospatial, survey, political, digital, and other sources.
• Method development and validation: Build rigorous and reproducible approaches for computational research, including model evaluation, human validation, error analysis, reliability and bias assessment, and comparison with alternative methods.
• Cross-department collaboration: Partner with research and program teams to connect computational research to program strategy, evaluation, and organizational decision-making.
• Sharing results and learnings: Translate complex analyses into clear findings, visualizations, recommendations, and presentations for technical and nontechnical audiences.

Qualifications

• A graduate degree in computational social science, computer science, political science, sociology, psychology, economics, statistics, data science, communication, or another relevant quantitative or computational field
• Demonstrated ability to think and work as an independent researcher: developing original research questions and hypotheses, selecting appropriate study designs and methods, critically evaluating evidence, and drawing well-supported conclusions.
• Strong programming skills, particularly in Python, and experience developing reproducible analytical workflows.
• Experience working with large, complex, real-world datasets (i.e., administrative, geospatial, voter, consumer, mobility, social media, news, or similar datasets) is preferred.
• Hands-on experience using large language models programmatically, including through APIs or comparable workflows.
• Experience with computational text-analysis methods such as supervised classification, clustering, topic modeling, embeddings, dictionary methods, or related NLP approaches.
• Understanding of how to evaluate machine-learning and LLM outputs, including validation, error analysis, and comparison against appropriate benchmarks.
• Strong statistical reasoning and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of observational, predictive, and causal analyses.
• Ability to translate substantive research questions into appropriate computational approaches and clearly communicate findings to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Entrepreneurial, self-directed approach to research, with curiosity, creativity, and comfort learning new datasets, tools, and methods.
• Experience working with geospatial or remote sensing data, including satellite imagery or other spatial datasets, is preferred.
• Experience in one or more GoodPower issue areas, including renewable energy development and siting, public opinion, political behavior, electoral change, electric vehicles, rural or agricultural communities, misinformation, persuasion, or information ecosystems, is preferred.

This description reflects GoodPower’s assignment of essential functions; it does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. GoodPower retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position at any time. Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. GoodPower has a zero-tolerance standard for abuse and inappropriate behavior by staff members.

Compensation, Benefits, and Perks

• Annual salary range: $120,000-140,000, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee and dependent premiums paid at 95-100% by GoodPower.
• 2-4 weeks of paid vacation annually, depending on seniority
• 13 paid holidays and 2 floating holidays
• 2 weeks of US office closure
• 10 days of paid sick leave annually.
• 403(b) with 3% employer contribution/match.
• Charitable giving: 1:1 match for charitable contributions ($250 per year), plus 2 paid days off for volunteering.
• Education reimbursement up to $1,500 per year.
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings options
• Stipend of $200/month (for cell phone, wellness expenses, etc.)
• 8 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of employment
• 8 weeks of paid parental leave

GoodPower is an equal-opportunity employer that highly values diversity, equity, and inclusion and views the climate crisis as a social justice crisis. People who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), people who experience gender oppression, people with disabilities, and people who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community are particularly encouraged to apply.