Department SummaryAbout the California Policy Lab
The California Policy Lab generates research insights for government impact. Through hands-on partnerships with government agencies, CPL performs rigorous research across issue silos and builds the data infrastructure necessary to improve programs and policies that millions of Californians rely on every day. CPL's UCLA site is a dynamic and growing organization with nearly 20 full-time employees, half a dozen graduate student researchers, and numerous faculty affiliates.
CPL recognizes the value of having a diverse staff at all levels of the organization. We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent and understand the diverse racial and ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, educational, socioeconomic, cultural, and disability backgrounds present in California. When you join our team, you can expect to be part of an inclusive and equity-focused community.
Position SummaryThe California Policy Lab is seeking an experienced Data Analyst with a background or interest in labor economics and policy to contribute to our organization's proven track record bridging the gap between academic researchers and government policymakers. CPL has compiled an unparalleled holding of administrative datasets and the Data Analyst will have the opportunity to apply methodologies from econometrics, statistics, and data science to original research projects that can generate actionable insights to improve California's labor programs and policies. The successful candidate will be passionate about using data to find innovative solutions to the problems facing California policymakers and residents. They will be a highly skilled programmer with experience in manipulating and cleaning large administrative datasets in multiple programming languages including STATA and R. They will have a background or experience in implementing causal inference research designs and a familiarity with machine learning models is preferred. They will also be able to produce graphs, tables, maps, or other visual displays that clearly communicate research results. The Data Analyst will be required to follow coding guidelines established by CPL and to contribute to the organization's efforts to build richly detailed documentation of the data we use. The successful candidate will be able to learn the details of complex programs and help identify opportunities where high quality research could drive positive change in California's labor programs. They will be able to understand new and existing external research and how insights from that research can be applied to our research projects on California's labor programs. This position requires an individual who is able to work both independently and as a part of small research teams to drive projects to completion. We seek a highly organized individual with excellent project and time management skills in order to balance running multiple projects concurrently, including fast-turnaround data analysis. This position will work with researchers at CPL, staff from state and local government agencies, as well as the leadership team at CPL, and will need excellent written and verbal communication skills to interact with these different audiences. The Data Analyst will report to CPL's senior research staff and will work collaboratively with CPL's Faculty Director, other CPL staff, and our partner agencies. We prefer applicants who are willing to work from the Los Angeles area.
Salary & Compensation*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit
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QualificationsOne year Applicants must also have at least one year of relevant research experience; experience gained in school counts toward this requirement. (Required)
Two to three years Professional post-baccalaureate experience (Preferred)
Experience working in an academic or think-tank environment (Preferred)
Experience with business intelligence tools such as Tableau or PowerBI (Preferred)
Experience with predictive modeling, machine learning, or artificial intelligence (Preferred)
Project management experience (Preferred)
Strong interest in applied policy questions in labor economics and labor market programs (Required)
Mastery of data analysis and data visualization in Python, R, or Stata (Required)
Experience working with large administrative datasets including knowledge of strategies for dealing with computing resource limits or for speeding up analyses (Required)
Background and experience with causal inference research designs (Required)
Superior verbal and written communication skills (Required)
Attention to detail and ability to organize and document workflow (Required)
Strong initiative and a resourceful approach to problem-solving (Required)
Ability to work independently and as part of a team; Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes; Ability to work discreetly with sensitive and confidential data (Required)
Substantive knowledge or experience in at least one of our core research areas – homelessness, health, criminal justice, poverty, education, or labor (Preferred)
Understanding of relational databases and mastery of data analysis and data management in SQL (Preferred)
Experience implementing machine learning models (Preferred)
Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal AffiliationsBachelor's Degree In public policy, economics, statistics, or other relevant field or equivalent experience/training (Required)
Master's Degree (Preferred)
Special Conditions for EmploymentBackground Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
Schedule9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Union/Policy Covered99-Policy Covered
Complete Position Descriptionhttps://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&jobcode=TBD_4461
