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Full-Time

Senior Data Scientist

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Vera Institute of Justice

Vera Institute of Justice

201-500 employees

Addresses social justice and law enforcement issues

Social Impact

Compensation Overview

$114k - $117kAnnually

+ Merit Pay + Paid Time Off + Health Insurance + Student Loan Repayment + Professional Development + Education Costs + Retirement Plan + Flexible Time

Mid, Senior

New Orleans, LA, USA + 3 more

Category
Data Science
Data & Analytics
Required Skills
Python
Data Science
R
Git
SQL
Postgres
AWS
Data Analysis
Google Cloud Platform
Requirements
  • Commitment to using research and analysis to end mass incarceration and undo racism and inequity in the criminal legal system required
  • Bachelor’s degree *AND* 4+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent experience with an advanced degree.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills working with data collection, processing, and analysis in Python and / or R, with preference for experience with messy public datasets
  • Experience maintaining and optimizing complex data product development in an environment where multiple developers are contributing to a codebase
  • Experience working with and maintaining SQL databases in a cloud-based environment
  • An understanding of full-stack development with preference for some experience in a software engineering context
  • Project management experience
  • Ability to work effectively with a diverse array of people and positions, including advocates, government officials, criminal justice system personnel and people who are directly impacted by the criminal or immigration legal systems
  • A professional dedication to issues of race, equity, and fairness
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Exceptional attention to detail
  • Ability to work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently
  • Ability to travel up to 5% of the time (team events, conferences, and / or site visits)
  • Fluency in the current tech stack: Python and / or R, GitHub, Google Cloud Platform and / or AWS, PostgreSQL (or similar relational database technology)
Responsibilities
  • Scope project-level end-to-end analysis processes and lead data science practice standards in collaboration with other senior data science staff
  • Scope project requirements for technical development, data analysis, and data management with Associate Director
  • Steer project-wide adoption of analytical and coding process standards where applicable (e.g. style guides, pull request templates, etc.) in coordination with Associate Director of Data Science and other senior data science staff at Vera
  • Lead project peer code review processes
  • Lead centralization of relevant public datasets and facilitate access for researchers across the organization. This will include becoming both the technical and analytical expert on production datasets, working closely with Vera’s tech support and mentoring/supporting research staff on data use context and best practices.
  • Lead data science workflow, analysis, and visualization
  • Lead development of analysis-end ETL processes to maintain and optimize large-scale data collection in close collaboration with the internal data engineer and research staff. This entails building an optimal data architecture for end products in research, data analysis, and visualization using messy source datasets (e.g. large public federal datasets, scraped data, administrative data not originally collected for analysis purposes, etc.)
  • Lead analysis of data using data science techniques and methodologies in support of research and product goals
  • Work collaboratively with web and visualization staff to create data products for public release
  • Collaborate with social science researchers to advance knowledge on the impacts of the criminal legal and immigration systems
  • Collaborate closely with research staff on social science research questions and priorities to guide goals in data analysis and data product development
  • Lead development of innovative uses of data science and develop new data science projects collaboratively with Vera researchers, either as an end product or supportive of research production
  • Support research report writing with contributions on analytical methods and results
  • Lead development, writing and / or editing, and presentation of internal and external data products in support of project goals
  • Lead drafting and maintenance of key documentation including and beyond code repositories
  • Present analytical results and data products to external audiences
  • Facilitate cross-functional relationships that interact with data science (e.g. communications, legal, IT, vendor management, etc.)
  • Team or department-wide tasks, as required
  • Mentorship and / or supervision of analyst and associate-level data science staff
  • Recruitment support as needed
  • Team events and convenings
  • Planning and other administrative duties
Vera Institute of Justice

Vera Institute of Justice

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Vera Institute of Justice focuses on addressing significant social issues related to justice and law enforcement. The organization collaborates with various partners to confront challenges such as mass incarceration, racial disparities, and the erosion of public trust in law enforcement. Their work also extends to supporting vulnerable and marginalized communities, as well as individuals affected by crime and violence. Unlike many organizations, Vera Institute emphasizes a collaborative approach, working with others who share their vision to create meaningful change. The ultimate goal of Vera Institute is to promote a fair and equitable justice system that serves all members of society.

Company Stage

Grant

Total Funding

$250K

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

1961

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Vera's recent $2.7 million funding round led by Differential Venture Partners indicates strong investor confidence and potential for growth.
  • The development of AI tools to enforce privacy, security, and fairness policies within enterprises showcases Vera's forward-thinking approach.
  • Collaborations with organizations like JLUSA enhance Vera's credibility and impact in the social justice sector.

What critics are saying

  • The recent layoffs and unionization efforts could indicate internal instability and potential challenges in employee relations.
  • The competitive landscape of social innovation and justice reform requires Vera to continuously innovate to maintain its relevance.

What makes Vera Institute of Justice unique

  • Vera Institute of Justice uniquely focuses on addressing systemic injustices such as mass incarceration and racial disparities, setting it apart from other social innovation organizations.
  • Their collaboration with JLUSA on the 'Dignity Principles' report underscores their commitment to creating actionable frameworks for justice reform.
  • Vera's emphasis on responsible AI to shape generative models' behaviors highlights their innovative approach to integrating technology with social justice.