Data Scientist

New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection seeks a Data Scientist to spearhead analytic, reporting, and innovation efforts across the agency. You will drive data quality, develop strategies with the Manager of Data Analytics, and collaborate on public-facing tools to increase transparency and accountability.

You will analyze agency operations, deliver actionable insights for policy and planning, and work with GIS and SQL to support evidence-based decisions that protect consumers

Qualifications

• Master's degree in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
• For Assignment Level II, a doctorate or master's with three years of full-time research experience is required; or education/experience equivalent to above with two years of relevant experience.
• Appointments include a one-year probationary period.

Responsibilities

• Report to the Manager of Data Analytics and assist with developing analytic, policy, and planning strategies.
• Conduct routine data and statistical analyses to understand agency operations and support protection and empowerment objectives.
• Apply research methods to evaluate program success and division performance.
• Use GIS tools and geo-spatial data to evaluate outreach and enforcement impact across geographic/demographic sectors.
• Provide research support for special initiatives and projects.
• Coordinate with External Affairs to share agency data with press and officials.
• Consult on data sharing with other governmental and non-governmental entities.
• Utilize SQL to support reporting on large datasets from DCWP databases.
• Collaborate on developing public-facing web-based tools to enhance transparency.

Skills

IBM Cognos

Power BI

Tableau

Advanced Excel

R

SAS

SPSS

STATA

SQL Queries

Stored Procedures

OOP

Esri GIS

CartoDB

Leaflet

Education

Master's degree in physical, biological, environmental science or public health

PhD in physical, biological, environmental or social science

Tools

SQL Server

VBA Macros in Excel

Job description

This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program.

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Division of Technology and Strategic Solutions (DoTSS) reporting team plays a critical role in providing timely and accurate operations data to stakeholders in order to comply with public reporting needs, increase the agency’s transparency generally and, provide direct informational support to our decision makers as they shape DCWP’s policies, practices, and procedures. In addition to operational reporting, the unit coordinates collaboration on quality improvement initiatives, designs and implements performance management systems and tools, and recommends new analyses and analytic projects to improve agency outcomes.

DCWP is seeking a highly skilled Data Scientist with a strong background in assessing data quality, a track record of applying appropriate analytical techniques to solve complex organizational and operational challenges, and an entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to think outside the box to design and implement novel solutions. Working in close contact with the Manager of Data Analytics and Reporting and other DoTSS Reporting Team members, the selected candidate will be responsible for spearheading analytic, innovation, and reporting efforts across the agency to ensure efficiency, accountability, and transparency in DCWP’s many community-based and community outreach programs.

As a Data Scientist you will:

• Report to the Manager of Data Analytics and assist with developing and implementing analytic, policy, and planning strategies to achieve agency-wide goals.
• Conduct routine data and statistical analysis designed to enhance understanding of agency operations and to support consumer and worker protection and financial empowerment objectives.
• Apply research and analytic best practices to evaluate program success and division performance.
• Utilize internal and web-based GIS tools and other geo-spatial data to evaluate the impact and efficacy of DCWP’s outreach and enforcement activities across a broad array of geographic and demographic sectors.
• Provide research support for special initiatives and projects.
• Coordinate with External Affairs and Communications divisions in the provision of agency data to the press, elected officials, and other interested parties.
• Consult on data sharing projects between DCWP and other governmental and non-governmental entities.
• Utilize self-authored SQL to support the agency’s reporting team on an as-needed basis, analyzing and summarizing large datasets extracted directly from DCWP’s reporting databases.
• Collaborate on the design, development, and implementation of public-facing web-based tools designed to enhance agency transparency.

The optimal candidate will be able to demonstrate a track record of success in the following areas:

• Promoting innovative analytic approaches that provide greater insight into organizational operations and outcomes;
• Excellent quantitative and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated commitment to data-driven decision making;
• Superior written and oral communication skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in public forums and to executive audiences;
• Ability to manage multiple ad-hoc intake requests and long-term projects simultaneously;
• Ability to improve data quality by identifying and resolving data quality issues.

CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST - 21744

Minimum Qualifications

• For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.

To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:

• A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE

Probationary Period

Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency with a wide variety of analytic and business intelligence tools, such as IBM Cognos, Tableau, Power BI, advanced Excel (e.g. VBA Macros), and others - Proficiency with statistical software packages (R, SAS, SPSS, STATA) - Writing SQL queries, Stored Procedures, and Optimizations in Microsoft SQL Server - Strong organizational and project management skills detail oriented with the ability to multi-task and work both independently and as part of a team - Familiarity with Object Oriented Programming (OOPS) a plus - Intermediate knowledge of GIS tools including Esri GIS products, CartoDB, and Leaflet (JavaScript) a plus

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.