Statistical Workflow Engineer

RDN, Inc.; Santa Barbara (CA); Remote; USD 108,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Above-market performance-based bonuses

Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)

401k Plan with profit sharing

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off and Holidays

Job summary

A specialized economic consulting firm is seeking a Statistical Workflow Engineer to modernize workflows and tools, enhancing efficiency and scalability. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in data wrangling and statistical modeling using R and Python, along with strong problem-solving skills. Enjoy a flexible, remote work environment with occasional visits to the Santa Barbara office, which nurtures employee development and respect.

Qualifications

• 3+ years' relevant experience in a research or consulting environment.
• Must pass FBI fingerprint check and National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI).
• Excellent critical thinker and problem-solver.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain internal tools for data analysis and report generation.
• Identify opportunities for automation or optimization in workflows.
• Help migrate ad hoc workflows into structured, documented pipelines.

Skills

Data wrangling

Statistical modeling in R

Statistical modeling in Python

Git/GitHub

SQL

Critical thinking

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Tools

RMarkdown

Make

Airflow

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Statistical Workflow Engineer

Classification: Full Time

Location: Fully Remote (with occasional visits to Santa Barbara office)

Work Hours: Flexible with start time between 7:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Travel: Up to 5% of time

Base Salary Range: $52.00 - $68.00 per hour, equal to $108,160 to $141,440 annually

Benefits:

• Above-market performance-based bonuses
• Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
• 401k Plan with profit sharing
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off (Vacation & Sick) and Holidays

Position Summary

Robert D. Niehaus, Inc (RDN) is a small, mission-driven economic consulting firm specializing in housing market and socioeconomic research for U.S. Government agencies. Our team of economists and analysts produce high-impact studies that influence military compensation and housing programs.

We are seeking a statistical workflow engineer to help us modernize our workflows, tools, and systems to increase efficiency, consistency, and scalability across projects. This role is ideal for someone who understands statistical analysis but thrives on building tools and systems that empower others. You will work closely with our analysts, software developers, and program managers to identify bottlenecks, design and implement scalable solutions, and support a culture of reproducibility and automation using modern best practices (version control, modular code, documentation, CI/CD, etc.). This position will report to RDN’s Program Manager for the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Economic Studies programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with program managers and analysts to understand recurring workflows and identify opportunities for automation or optimization.
• Design, build, and maintain internal tools and systems that support data collection/wrangling, analysis/modeling, visualization, and report generation.
• Help migrate ad hoc workflows into structured, documented, and version-controlled pipelines (i.e., R/Python + SQL + GitHub + on-premise/cloud storage).
• Create templates, scripts, or packages that standardize common analysis/reporting tasks across projects.
• Provide technical guidance on version control, code organization, reproducibility, and environment management.
• Help ensure compliance with cybersecurity and data handling standards.
• Participate in strategic planning for modernizing our overall technical stack.

Minimum Requirements

• US citizenship
• California or Wisconsin Residency
• Must pass FBI fingerprint check and National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI)
• Education and Relevant Experience
  • Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related technical field (that may also be reflected through work or fellowships)
  • 3+ years' relevant experience, ideally in a research or consulting environment
• Applied experience with the following:
  • Data wrangling and statistical modeling in R and Python
  • Designing or maintaining data science workflows/pipelines
  • SQL and database design
  • Git/GitHub and standard software engineering methodologies (e.g. testing, design, information retrieval, algorithms, and data structures)
  • One or more reproducible reporting tools (e.g., RMarkdown, LaTeX)
  • One or more workflow automation tools (e.g., Make, Airflow)
• Excellent critical thinker and problem-solver
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication
• Reliable and efficient workload management

What we also love to see

• Experience with ArcGIS/QGIS and/or R/Python spatial packages
• Experience building web applications or web-based services
• Familiarity with AWS and server maintenance
• Familiarity with cybersecurity compliance frameworks, especially CMMC
• Familiarity with datasets published by the Census Bureau, BLS, BEA, etc.

About RDN

Located in sunny Santa Barbara, California, RDN is an economic consulting firm with a track record of excellence spanning more than 40 years. RDN’s core services include housing market data collection and analysis, utility rate studies, surveys, and economic impact studies. Our mission is to provide our clients with the information and guidance they need to advance their missions efficiently and sustainably. Our employee mission is to empower our employee owners to flourish as productive and impactful people. We adhere to the principle of treating others as we would like to be treated, and we seek mutual respect, trust, honesty, loyalty, and mentorship. We value integrity, customer service, excellence, teamwork, innovation, and impact. We enjoy a casual office environment with flexible hours and abundant professional development opportunities. Personal and professional growth is rewarded with greater responsibility and benefits.