Senior Data Scientist — Public Sector Analytics Lead

State of Iowa - Executive Branch; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

IPERS

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Generous vacation, sick leave, and 13+

Life and disability insurance

Retirement savings options (RIC)

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

State of Iowa - Executive Branch is seeking a Data Scientist 2 to lead the Iowa JDW program, overseeing strategy, operations, and data governance across justice-related data assets.

The role involves managing large datasets, collaborating with state agencies, and delivering dashboards and analytics to support policy decisions. Strong SQL/R/Excel skills and public-sector data experience are highly valued. This is an onsite Des Moines role with potential hybrid arrangements.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualification requires nine years of full-time work in analytics, economics, or data science; or a qualifying degree with five years of experience.
• Or combinations with three years of work plus specific education for a total of four years of education/experience.
• Current state-level experience in data governance, data integration, and analytics tools is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise-wide Iowa JDW program, including strategy, operations, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and implement data governance frameworks ensuring privacy and security compliance.
• Manage large-scale data sharing with key partners (Judicial Branch, HHS, DOC, DOM).
• Oversee ingestion and integration of new datasets for JDW.
• Administer Business Objects: user access, security groups, reports.
• Monitor the JDW cloud environment and web apps for data integrity and reliability.
• Lead production of Correctional Impact Statements and data validation for Prison Population Forecast.
• Develop public dashboards and internal analytics tools to promote transparency.
• Respond to data requests from the public, media, legal professionals, and policymakers.
• Compile, clean, and standardize complex datasets for analysis and reporting.
• Utilize SQL, R, and Excel for data transformation, analysis, and visualization.
• Serve as backup to Iowa Data Hub for broader enterprise data initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Data analytics

Program management

SQL

R

Excel

Data visualization

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business analytics, economics, data science, statistics, mathematics, MIS, or industrial management

Master’s degree in business analytics, economics, data science, statistics, MIS, or industrial management

Tools

Business Objects

Job description

State of Iowa - Executive Branch is seeking a Data Scientist 2 to lead the Iowa JDW program, overseeing strategy, operations, and data governance across justice-related data assets.

The role involves managing large datasets, collaborating with state agencies, and delivering dashboards and analytics to support policy decisions. Strong SQL/R/Excel skills and public-sector data experience are highly valued. This is an onsite Des Moines role with potential hybrid arrangements.