Sr. Data Analyst

Vanderbilt University; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center seeks a Senior Research Data Analyst to provide data management, cleaning, and advanced statistical analyses for a portfolio of policy research projects. The role focuses on transforming raw data into credible research assets and supporting timely deliverables.

Based in Nashville with remote or hybrid options, the position reports to the Director of Data and Analytics and supports state and national efforts to inform policy decisions.

Qualifications

• Experience cleaning and preparing survey and administrative data.
• Ability to plan analytic approaches and document methodologies.
• Experience merging datasets from multiple sources and assessing representativeness.
• Strong writing skills for publications and policy briefs.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to research questions, study designs, and analytic plans.
• Manage survey data cleaning and preparation and quality assurance.
• Review measures, response options, and data structures for alignment.
• Work with messy real-world data and resolve data quality issues.
• Interpret data, run statistical tests, and produce ongoing reports.
• Contribute to written products and publications translating results for stakeholders.

Skills

Data cleaning

Statistical analysis

Survey data management

Research writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Statistics / Data Science / related field

Tools

R

Python

SAS

Job description

Job Description Summary:

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center aims to accelerate states' implementation of evidence- based policies that help all children thrive from the start.

General Notes:

This position is a term appointment for 12 months beginning upon date of hire, and reports functionally and administratively to the Director of Data and Analytics, Kels Bowman. Applicants from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse environment to continue to build a strong and equitable prenatal-to-3 system of care. This position can be performed remotely, and hybrid remote-work opportunities are available. Visa sponsorship is unavailable for this position.

The primary responsibilities of the position include: Data management, analysis, research, and writing:

We seek an experienced Senior Research Data Analyst to provide data management and analysis expertise to projects across the Center. The role primarily includes original survey and program data cleaning, data management, and statistical analyses for a portfolio of original research and evaluation projects. The Policy Impact Center's research seeks to build the evidence base in key areas related to the impact of state policies and programs on outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families. The role of the Senior Research Data Analyst is essential for transforming raw data into research assets, ensuring the validity and credibility of the Center's research, resolving complex data challenges, and supporting timely research-based deliverables.

This Senior Research Data Analyst position provides essential data expertise and rigorous analytic support and guidance to a team of data researchers responsible for supporting the Center’s goals to build the evidence base for effective and equitable policymaking, track state progress in building a more effective and equitable system of care, and shape policy development in states through targeted assistance and support.

• Contribute to the development of research questions, study designs, analytic plans, and methodological approaches for original research and evaluation projects




• Manage survey data cleaning and preparation, including guiding processes for data collection and testing, providing support in developing the analytic plan and analysis timeline, implementing quality assurance protocols and detailed documentation, constructing clean, validated analytic datasets that serve as the foundation for the Center’s portfolio of original research




• Contribute to the development, programming, testing, and refinement of surveys, including reviewing measures, response options, skip logic, and data structures to ensure alignment with research questions and analytic plans




• Work independently with messy, real-world data and exercise judgment in resolving data quality issues, missing data, and documentation challenges, ensuring analytic datasets are defensible




• Acquire, manage, and analyze raw datasets, including administrative data from state agencies and national longitudinal sources such as Census, with demonstrated ability to merge datasets, clean and prepare data for analysis, and assess representativeness, processes essential to the Center's research goals




• Interpret data and independently select and apply appropriate statistical tests, analyze results, and provide ongoing reports




• Contribute to and/or lead the production of written products and academic publications translating the results of policy research and analyses into actionable insights for stakeholders and state policymakers.

Project management and leadership:

• Ensure the methodological quality, ...