RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II

California Civil Rights Department; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work options

Competitive benefits

Job summary

California Civil Rights Department seeks a Research Data Specialist II to design, organize, and conduct independent statistical analyses to support discrimination investigations in employment and housing.

You will advise attorneys and staff on data collection, study design, and interpretation of statistical analyses, and you may testify in court as a statistical expert when required.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in statistics, data science, or related field is preferred.
• A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and must be submitted with your application.
• SOQ should describe your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as they meet the qualifications for the position.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct independent statistical analyses to support discrimination investigations in employment, housing, and other areas.
• Advise attorneys, subject matter experts, and staff on data collection, study design, and interpretation of statistical analyses.
• Translate broad policy questions or legal theories into testable quantitative hypotheses with examples.
• Provide objective statistical evidence of discrimination and may be called to testify in court as a statistical expert.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Data collection

Study design

Testimony preparation

Consulting attorneys

Education

Master's degree in statistics or related field

Tools

SQL

R

SAS

Stata

Job description

Job Description and Duties

Under the general direction of the Workforce Data Officer, the Research Data Specialist II designs, organizes, and conducts independent and objective statistical analyses that can serve as evidence of discrimination and identify potential systemic violations of civil rights laws enforced by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). The incumbent provides advice and guidance to attorneys, subject matter experts, and other staff on collecting data, designing studies, and interpreting statistical analyses for the investigation or litigation of matters involving discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas to support CRD’s mission. The incumbent serves as an internal statistical expert in employment and housing discrimination cases and may be called upon to testify in court on behalf of CRD.

In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees’ monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 3% in exchange for 5 hours of leave credits through June 2027. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Benefits

There are many benefits to joining our team!We offer competitive pay, advancement opportunities, upward mobility, work-life-balance, and for many positions, flexible hours and remote work options. The State of California offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, subject to eligibility, such as:Medical Benefits, including , , andinsuranceDeferred Compensation options:(Vacation/Sick or Annual Leave)Paid Holidays(College Saving Account)School Loan forgiveness under the federal

Statement of Qualifications

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and must be submitted with your application. Applications packets received without an SOQ will not be considered. The SOQ is a narrative description of how an applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities meet the qualifications for the position. The SOQ serves as documentation of an applicant’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing.

Describe how your education, training, skills, and experience uniquely qualify you for this position.

Describe your experience and approach to translating broad, ambiguous policy questions or legal theories into testable quantitative hypotheses. Provide examples.

Describe your experience designing an empirical strategy to produce objective statistical evidence of discrimination that withstood cross-examination, adversarial critique, or rigorous review. Provide examples.

Describe your experience and protocol for working with flawed, incomplete, or unstandardized administrative data provided by adversarial parties (e.g., defendants in litigation). How do you handle and validate the data to ensure resulting estimates were robust and bias-free? Provide examples.

Describe your experience and approach to translating complex statistical modeling into clear, credible, and actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders. Provide examples.