RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II

State of California; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 107,000; Full time

Job summary

State of California's Employment Development Department (EDD) is seeking a Research Data Specialist II to join the Unemployment Insurance Support Division. You will lead complex analysis, develop reports, dashboards, and data visualizations to support program performance and reporting.

The role requires analytical skills, experience with relational databases and statistical tools, and strong collaboration with program staff and IT teams. Salary is $7,640.00–$9,561.00 per month.

Qualifications

• Experience with large datasets and data visualization.
• Ability to develop reports and dashboards.
• Attention to detail and rigorous research methods.
• Knowledge of unemployment insurance program is desired.
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Leads complex research and data analysis projects that support program performance, federal reporting, modernization efforts, and executive decision-making.
• Analyzes large datasets, identifies trends and opportunities for improvement, develops reports, dashboards, and data visualizations, and provides recommendations.
• Works closely with program staff, executive leadership, and IT teams to improve data quality, support system modernization efforts, validate reporting, and develop business intelligence solutions.
• Serves as a technical resource by providing guidance on research methods, data analysis, and reporting practices.

Skills

Analytical abilities

Data visualization

Report writing

Communication

Tools

Snowflake

SAS Enterprise Guide

SQL

DB2

QMF

Excel

Job description

Research Data Specialist II

$7,640.00 - $9,561.00 per Month

Final Filing Date: 10/2/2026

Working Conditions

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

Employees are required to report to their regular EDD headquarters four days a week.

Minimum Requirements

• RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II

RESEARCH DATA SPECIALIST II $7,640.00 - $9,561.00A New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Job Description

The Employment Development Department (EDD), Unemployment Insurance Support Division is seeking a motivated, analytical, and collaborative Research Data Specialist II (RDS II) to join the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Branch's Unemployment Insurance Support Division (UISD). This is an exciting opportunity to use data and research to improve one of California's largest public benefit programs.

Under the general direction of the Manager II, the RDS II leads complex research and data analysis projects that support program performance, federal reporting, modernization efforts, and executive decision-making. The incumbent analyzes large datasets, identifies trends and opportunities for improvement, develops reports, dashboards, and data visualizations, and provides recommendations that help improve operations and ensure accurate reporting.

The RDS II works closely with program staff, executive leadership, and Information Technology teams to improve data quality, support system modernization efforts, validate reporting, and develop innovative business intelligence solutions. This position also serves as a technical resource by providing guidance on research methods, data analysis, and reporting practices.

Desirable Qualifications

• Working knowledge of relational database management tools and statistical software such as Snowflake, SAS Enterprise Guide, SQL, DB2, QMF, and advanced Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of data analysis techniques.
• Ability to conduct complex research and analysis with attention to detail.
• Ability to define and create new data models and visualization methodologies, and report on research findings.
• Ability to analyze data, prepare and clearly present technical reports, recommendations and information.
• Ability to draft, review, and edit written reports.
• Ability to reason logically and creatively.
• Ability to analyze situations accurately and take effective action.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and harmonious relationships with professional, technical and support personnel individually and in group settings.
• Knowledge of the Unemployment Insurance program is desired.

EEO Contact

EEO Officer

[phone]

[e-mail]

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is Required. The SOQ serves as documentation of each candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. The SOQ is not a resume or cover letter. Resumes and/or Cover Letters DO NOT take the place of the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ or an SOQ submitted without following instructions may not receive further consideration and may be excluded from the hiring process.

Within the response, include specific information and examples as to how your experience, education, and training qualify you for the position based on the desirable qualifications outlined in this job announcement. Please number your responses in the same order as listed below and provide specific examples. The SOQ should have a title of "Statement of Qualifications, Your Name," be no more than two pages in length with no smaller than size 11 font, and address the following:

• Research and Data Analysis: Describe your education, training, and professional experience performing quantitative and qualitative research, statistical analysis, or business intelligence. Explain how your work has been used to support program improvements, operational decisions, or executive leadership.
• Data Analytics and Reporting: Describe a project where you analyzed a large or complex dataset. Include the approximate size of the data, analytical methods used, software or programming languages (such as SQL, SAS, R, Python, Power BI, Tableau, or Excel), and how you communicated your findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Data Validation and Problem Solving: Describe a time when you identified a data quality issue, reporting discrepancy, or business problem. Explain how you investigated the issue, identified the root cause, and recommended or implemented a solution. What was the outcome?
• Collaboration: Describe your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, or executive leadership to complete a complex project or implement a new process or system. Include your role, how you built effective working relationships, and the results achieved.
• Project Management: Describe how you manage multiple assignments with competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines. Provide a specific example demonstrating your organizational skills and ability to deliver high-quality work under pressure.

The position may require an applicant to pass a background investigation. However, applicants will not be asked to provide information regarding a conviction history unless they receive a conditional offer of employment. The department will make an individualized assessment of whether the conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job and the work performed by the department. The department will consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency, nature and seriousness, and age at the time of the offense(s).

The investigation will consist of completion of a personal history statement and fingerprinting checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and/or local law enforcement agencies. Anyone failing to pass the background investigation will be provided information on how to appeal the process. A criminal conviction may not result in an automatic determination of "NotQualified."

Additional Department Information

The Employment Development Department may require a new probation in accordance with applicable probationary period rules.

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 work place. 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.