Senior Data Scientist

Emendata, LLC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Emendata, LLC is seeking a data scientist to turn ideas into practical analytic solutions in our San Francisco office. You will operationalize research questions, profile data sources, and develop models using statistics and ML, with careful validation and documentation.

You will communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences, collaborate with stakeholders, and stay current on analytic methods to advance our institutional knowledge.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative field with years of professional data work.
• Strong grounding in statistical and machine learning methods.
• Ability to explain complex analyses to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Operationalize research questions into analytic frameworks and deliverables
• Profile data sources and build usable datasets with meaningful features
• Evaluate analytic methods and select approaches for problem and environment
• Develop analyses and models using statistical and ML methods with documented process
• Design validation like baseline comparisons and sensitivity analyses
• Produce clear deliverables and present findings to technical and non-technical audiences
• Collaborate with stakeholders to incorporate feedback throughout development
• Stay current on analytic methods and contribute to institutional knowledge

Skills

Statistical methods & ML

Python

R

SQL

Data visualization

Communication

Independent work

Education

MS or PhD in data science, CS, statistics, applied mathematics, engineering, economics, or related field

B.S. with 5+ years relevant experience

Tools

Python

R

SQL

Job description

About Us: At Emendata, we help bridge the gap between data and the real world. We partner with organizations that have a social mission and help them tackle their problems using analytics. Our role in these partnerships goes end to end—we handle everything from wrangling the data to analyzing the problem to turning the results into something actionable. We know that this analytics pipeline does not live in a vacuum. Getting to meaningful numbers requires more than just the right methods; it calls for understanding the people, policies, data, and systems involved.

With this approach, our small but fast-growing team is having a big impact taking on challenges in healthcare program integrity – safeguarding programs like Medicare and Medicaid by preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. We are growing our team with people who enjoy figuring out hard problems, want their work to matter, and set a high bar for themselves and their teammates.

About the Role: We are looking for someone to turn ideas into practical analytic solutions. The ideal candidate can bring structure to an open-ended question, determine what needs to be understood, and thoughtfully chart a clear path forward. They pair a strong analytical foundation with the ability to apply what they know and determine what makes sense for the problem at hand. They maintain momentum from the initial question through the final deliverable and care deeply about producing work that is sound and that others can understand and act on. Just as importantly, they have a track record of seeing this kind of work through successfully in a professional setting. We are looking for you to:

• Operationalize research questions from management and clients into robust analytic frameworks, research activities, and deliverables with minimal direction
• Explore and profile data sources to understand their structure, quality, and limitations; build reliable datasets and develop meaningful features for analysis and modeling
• Research and evaluate analytic methods, tools, packages, and implementation options, then select the approach best suited to the question, data, intended use, and computing environment
• Develop analyses and models using appropriate statistical, machine learning, and other analytic methods, following a disciplined, iterative process that includes clear planning, documentation, testing, and review
• Design and carry out appropriate validation, using methods such as baseline comparisons, test cases, sensitivity analyses, and record-level review
• Produce clear, well-supported deliverables, such as reports and presentations, that explain the data and methodology, interpret findings, and provide conclusions and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand the policy and operational context, refine analytic approaches, and incorporate feedback throughout the development process
• Stay current on relevant analytic methods, tools, and applications; contribute to the development of the company’s institutional knowledge

Required Qualifications: We are looking for you to have the following qualifications:

• Education and Experience: M.S. or Ph.D. in data science, computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, engineering, economics, or a related quantitative field, plus at least 3 years of relevant professional experience; or a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus at least 5 years of relevant professional experience
• Technical Expertise: Strong theoretical grounding in statistical and machine learning methods, with professional experience selecting, implementing, and evaluating methods in practice; familiarity with predictive modeling, anomaly detection, graph and network analytics, and natural language processing
• Programming: Experience performing analyses using Python, R, or SQL
• Communication: Ability to write clearly and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences
• Interests: Strong interest in social science research
• Working Style: Capable of working with minimal supervision and a high level of initiative; practical approach to problem-solving; comfortable working both independently and collaboratively on client-facing projects
• Ownership: Demonstrated ability to organize work effectively, communicate progress and challenges, and drive work to completion

Desired Qualifications: If you do not meet all the criteria below but still think you would be a good fit for this role, please apply so we can see if we can find the right spot for you on the team.

• Consulting Experience: Experience developing and delivering analytic work in a consulting or other client-facing environment
• Technical Expertise: Experience implementing approaches in a professional setting in one or more of the following analytic areas: predictive modeling, anomaly detection, graph and network analytics, or natural language processing
• Domain Expertise: Knowledge of healthcare data, policy, and program integrity efforts strongly preferred (e.g., Medicare policy, CMS data)

This position is full-time onsite in San Francisco. Working side by side accelerates learning, mentorship, and the kind of collaboration that leads to producing our best work. Additionally, to be considered for this position, applicants must have the ability to work in the U.S. without a need for current or future visa sponsorship. Staff will be required to complete a successful background investigation, including the Questionnaire for Public Trust Position SF-85. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, all qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Emendata’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.