RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II

State of California; Sacramento (CA); Hybride; USD 85 000 - 110 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

State of California’s Civil Rights Department seeks a Research Data Specialist II to design and conduct independent statistical analyses for discrimination investigations and litigation. You will guide data collection, study design, and interpretation of results for complex cases.

You may testify as a statistical expert and collaborate with attorneys, subject matter experts, and staff to advance CRD’s mission, including cross-disciplinary analytics and reporting.

Qualifications

• PhD in a quantitative social science or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of quantitative research experience.
• Experience designing and conducting statistical studies for investigations or litigation.
• Expertise in econometrics, mathematical demography, microeconomics, statistics, or survey methodology.
• Proficiency in statistical programming languages (Python, R).
• Experience working with large or complex datasets and relational databases.
• Ability to lead research end-to-end with minimal guidance.
• Ability to communicate statistical analyses to diverse audiences.

Responsabilités

• Design, organize, and conduct independent statistical analyses to inform investigations and litigation.
• Provide evidence-based guidance to attorneys and staff on data collection and study design.
• Testify in court as a statistical expert when required.
• Serve as internal statistical expert for employment and housing discrimination cases.

Connaissances

Econometrics

Statistics

Python

R

Relational databases

Lead research end-to-end

Effective communication

Testimony support

Formation

PhD in quantitative social science or related field

Outils

Relational databases

Description du poste

Research Data Specialist II

$7,640.00 - $9,847.00 per Month

Final Filing Date: 11/6/2026

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 Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

The positions may be filled in our offices below.

• Bakersfield
• Fresno
• Oakland
• Riverside

This position is hybrid and may require the selected candidate to report in person up to 4 days a week in accordance with Department policy.

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the Research Data Specialist II to successfully perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

• Requires ability to effectively work in a remote environment and complete complex tasks independently.
• Requires daily use of a personal computer and related software applications at a workstation.
• Requires ability to complete tasks that require repetitive hand movements in the performance of daily duties.
• Requires prolonged sitting and/or standing in a workstation for 6.5 to 7 hours per day.
• Willingness to work irregular hours and to travel widely within an assigned area.
• Requires frequent face-to-face contact with management, staff, and external stakeholders through verbal, written, and digital (e-mail) communication.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II

RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II $7,640.00 - $9,847.00 New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions: 1

Work Location: United States

Telework: Hybrid

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

The Civil Rights Department (CRD or Department) is the civil rights enforcement agency for the State of California. CRD's mission is to protect all people in California from employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination, human trafficking, and hate violence.

The CRD is the largest state civil rights enforcement agency in the country. It enforces the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, Ralph Civil Rights Act, and the California Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The Department has jurisdiction over both private and public entities operating within the State of California, including corporate entities, private sector companies that contract with the State of California, and all State departments and local governments.

CRD has jurisdiction over complaints against public and private entities operating in California. With offices in six locations throughout California, CRD receives, investigates, and initiates individual and systemic discrimination complaints. CRD’s Legal Division provides strategic guidance in complex investigations; litigates individual and pattern-or-practice cases in state and federal courts throughout the state; and provides general counsel support to the Department. CRD’s Legal Division employs approximately seventy-five attorneys and staff throughout California.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• PhD in a quantitative social science (e.g., demography, economics, industrial/organizational psychology, sociology) or related quantitative field (e.g., econometrics, statistics).
• 5 years of relevant work experience in quantitative research related to demography, industrial organization, labor economics, microeconomics, statistics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing and conducting statistical studies to support investigations and litigation of employment and/or housing discrimination.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in econometrics, mathematical demography, microeconomics, statistical inference, statistical modeling, and/or survey methodology.
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical programming languages (e.g., Python, R).
• Demonstrated experience working with large or complex datasets and relational databases.
• Demonstrated ability to lead research end-to-end with minimal guidance.
• Demonstrated experience in effective communication of statistical analyses and results to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to distill research findings to drive strategic thinking and inform decision-making.
• Experience testifying, consulting, and providing litigation support on economics, statistics, and related issues.

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:

Statement of Qualifications

• 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 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free workplace. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.