Data Analyst I - Postsecondary Education Research

Join the Education and Child Development Department at NORC at the University of Chicago as a Data Analyst I working on education issues including career pathways, postsecondary campus climate research, evaluation studies, statistical methods, data science, and analysis across a broad range of education and social policy issues with a special focus on diversity and equity.

The position is based in our Chicago or Bethesda office or could be remote. There is also the opportunity to work in a hybrid setting (i.e., part remote, part in-office).

The Data Science job family exists across multiple departments and provides analytical expertise that leads to important insights for a portfolio of NORC projects and strategic initiatives; the Data Analyst I performs tasks such as importing, cleaning, transforming, validating or modeling data. They may also support the presentation of data by developing charts, graphs and tables. In addition, the Data Analyst I may assist in data collection from primary or secondary data sources (e.g., administrative records, commercial data, social media data), identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns in data sets and maintain databases/data systems, dictionaries, etc. The Data Analyst I is expected to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Salary for the position ranges from $59,000-78,000, depending on skills and experience.

For more than 40 years, NORC has been committed to conducting high quality education research. Our department’s research covers the full array of education-relevant populations, from birth across the life course. NORC is a leader in conducting large national surveys, as well as more targeted state and local studies, harvesting reliable, actionable data. The scope of our education research methodologies is wide-ranging, as well – including primary data collection, analysis and reporting of existing data, transcript abstraction, classroom observations, qualitative analysis, and experimental and quasi-experimental designs.

• Under direction from Project Directors and Data Scientists, manage databases/data systems, data dictionaries, etc.
• Support the presentation of data by developing charts, graphs and tables.
• Gathering results using a variety of techniques, ranging from simple data aggregation via statistical analysis to basic analytical/predictive
• Support data management, including cleaning, transforming and harmonizing data.

• 0-2 years’ experience in positions of increasing responsibility, preferably working with large data sets, and conducting statistical and quantitative modeling, melding analytics with programming, data mining, clustering and segmentation
• Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.
• Outstanding interpersonal and critical reasoning skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, math, or data science. Degrees in other subjects may be considered, if other relevant skills apply.
• Strong foundation in areas of statistics, mathematics, and data science. Coding skills in languages such as SAS, R, Stata, or Python preferred. Additional expertise in areas of machine learning such as natural language processing and supervised/unsupervised modelling preferred.
• Proficiency with MS Office software, including Excel.
• Strong skills in problem solving and quantitative analysis are required. Able to organize and prioritize work assignments to meet project needs.
• Experience with or training in the principles, processes, and methods of social science research a plus.

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other legally- protected characteristics.

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