Data Operations Associate (Opinion Research)

Panterra; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/unlimited vacation policy

Competitive salary

Healthcare choices

401(k)

Profit Sharing Program

Job summary

Panterra is looking for a Data Operations Associate to join their remote team, focusing on data processing for quantitative research projects.

The ideal candidate should have experience with Displayr and have a solid understanding of survey data methodologies. Responsibilities include data cleaning, statistical analysis, and ensuring data quality across various projects.

Flexible work environment and a supportive culture await.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience in survey data processing or market research.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end processing of survey data for quantitative research projects.
• Conduct data cleaning and quality assurance on raw survey data.
• Apply and validate survey weights to ensure data representativeness.

Skills

Proficiency in Displayr

Knowledge of SPSS

Strong attention to detail

Experience with R or Python

Familiarity with statistical analysis

Education

Undergraduate degree in statistics, data science, or related field

Tools

SPSS

Microsoft Excel

Displayr

Job description

Data Operations Associate, Opinion Research

Remote, United States (Bay Area, NYC, Washington DC, Seattle, or Portland metro areas)

The Opportunity

Panterra Research is growing, and we are bringing data processing in-house to improve speed, quality, and control. We are looking for a detail‑oriented and technically skilled Data Analyst to join our global research team. This person will own the end‑to‑end processing of survey data across a wide portfolio of quantitative research projects – from public opinion polling and brand tracking to political campaigns and corporate perception studies across more than 150 countries.

The ideal candidate is proficient in Displayr and has a strong grounding in survey data methodologies. They will be the engine behind our crosstab production, data weighting, quality assurance, and statistical analysis, and will play a critical role in helping us improve and accelerate how we turn raw survey data into client‑ready insights.

Due to role requirements, candidates must reside in any of the following states: San Francisco Bay Area, CA; New York, NY or New Jersey (within commuting distance of New York City); Washington, DC or Virginia (within commuting distance of Washington, DC); Portland, OR.

Key Responsibilities

Data Processing & Quality Assurance

• Receive, ingest, and process raw survey data from vendors in a variety of formats (SPSS .sav, Excel, CSV, and others).
• Conduct thorough logic checking and data cleaning: verifying skip logic compliance, identifying missing or erroneous responses, flagging and resolving inconsistencies.
• Identify and elevate anomalies, outliers, and quality issues in survey datasets before analysis begins.
• Recode, rebase, and transform variables as required, including creating derived variables such as Top‑2‑Box scores, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and net agreement measures.
• Code and categorize open‑ended verbatim responses into manageable themes, leveraging AI‑assisted text analysis tools where appropriate.

Crosstab & Tabulation Production

• Build and maintain crosstab specifications in Displayr, producing efficient and accurate cross‑tabulations across demographic, geographic, and attitudinal subgroups.
• Develop templated, reusable Displayr setups to accelerate crosstab generation across recurring and tracking studies.
• Generate toplines, frequency distributions, and banner tables to research specifications.
• Ensure statistical significance testing (confidence levels, margin of error, p‑values, chi‑square) is applied correctly and clearly communicated in outputs.

Data Weighting

• Apply and validate survey weights to ensure data is representative of target populations.
• Work with senior researchers to understand weighting schemes (e.g., rim/raking weighting) and implement them accurately across domestic and international datasets.
• Document weighting decisions and methodology for each project.

Statistical Analysis

• Conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analysis including regression, segmentation, driver/key driver analysis, and cluster analysis.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate data processing workflows within Displayr and adjacent tools (e.g., R, Python scripts).
• Help develop internal standards, templates, and documentation for data processing best practices across the research team.
• Contribute to reducing reliance on external data processing vendors by building capacity in‑house.
• Stay current with Displayr platform updates, new features, and AI‑powered automation capabilities that could benefit team productivity.

Collaboration & Delivery

• Work closely with Research Consultants, Senior Consultants, and Account Directors to understand project specifications and deliver data to agreed timelines.
• Prepare clean, well‑labelled data files and crosstab outputs ready for analysis and reporting.
• Communicate clearly about data issues, project status, and delivery timelines.
• Support multiple projects simultaneously, managing competing deadlines with strong organisational discipline.

Skills & Experience

Technical – Required

• Proficiency in Displayr, including crosstab building, variable creation, data cleaning, and reporting outputs. Displayr certification preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of SPSS (or equivalent: Q Research Software, R) for survey data processing, weighting, and statistical analysis.
• Solid understanding of core survey research methodologies: sampling, weighting, margin of error, confidence intervals, and significance testing.
• Experience processing data from common survey platforms and working with SPSS .sav, Excel, and CSV file formats.
• Familiarity with crosstab and tabulation standards used in public opinion and market research.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data manipulation, formatting, and QA checks.

Technical – Preferred

• Experience with R or Python for data processing, automation, or scripting repetitive tasks.
• Familiarity with advanced analytical techniques: key driver analysis, MaxDiff, segmentation/clustering, TURF analysis, or conjoint analysis.
• Experience with verbatim coding and/or AI text analysis tools.
• Experience building interactive dashboards or reusable reporting templates in Displayr (or similar tools such as Power BI or Tableau), enabling self‑serve data exploration for research and client teams.
• Knowledge of rim/raking weighting methodology and tools.
• Familiarity with data quality assurance tools or respondent fraud detection approaches.

Organisation & Communication

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy – errors in data processing have direct consequences for client strategy.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines in a fast‑paced, remote environment.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; ability to flag issues and communicate progress to non‑technical colleagues.
• Self‑starter who can work independently and proactively identify where processes can be improved.
• Comfortable collaborating across time zones with US‑based and international team members.

Background

• Undergraduate degree in statistics, quantitative social science, political science, data science, market research, mathematics, or a related field.
• 1–3 years of experience in survey data processing, market research, or public opinion research. Relevant academic project experience will be considered.
• Interest or experience in politics, public affairs, tech, or environment sectors is a plus, given Panterra Research’s client portfolio.
• Must be legally authorised to work in the United States and comfortable working remotely.

What Success Looks Like

• Crosstabs and data outputs are delivered accurately and on time, reducing dependence on external vendors.
• Data processing workflows become faster and more consistent through templates, automation, and improved documentation.
• Research Consultants spend less time on data QA and processing and more time on analysis and insight development.
• Anomalies and data quality issues are caught early, before they affect client deliverables.
• The team has an in‑house expert on Displayr who can train others and champion best practices.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Flexible/unlimited vacation policy.
• 13 paid holidays plus 8 additional "Lucky Fridays" off per year.
• Several choices of healthcare plans.
• 401(k).
• Profit Sharing Program.
• Yearly in‑person all‑staff retreats and regular regional in‑person meetups.
• A strong, supportive, and positive team culture.

We value diversity and aim for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society. Our recruitment process is competency based and no applicant will be discriminated against regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.