[Hiring] Data Scientist @Common App

ABOUT US

Do you have a passion for higher education? Do you want to make a positive impact on the college admissions process? Our staff help to remove barriers and encourage students to forge their path to a better future. Common App is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year we support more than 1 million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, as they apply to our more than 900 diverse member colleges & universities using the Common App's free online application. 

If you are an experienced Data Scientist professional and want to be part of a mission-driven non-profit that uses innovative technology to advance the college admission process, Common App may be a great match for you. Common App is currently searching for a Data Scientist: Data Operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Data Scientist position is charged with helping to build the organization’s evolving data analytic and research function. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, Data Operations, the individual will be engaged with all aspects of the data operations function, including the development of internal and external-facing business intelligence products, oversight of data warehousing, and analyses and reports supporting Common App's organizational priorities and strategic initiatives. Our organization is dedicated to reimagining college admissions to be more simple, logical, joyful, and equitable. Additionally, we hope to expand access to more low- and middle-income students via partnerships and innovations, leverage our data and research to be a voice for equity in the admissions process, and connect students to financial aid resources, information, and opportunities.

The Data Scientist will build efficient systems, processes, and workflows to execute the data operations agenda. They will produce and maintain ETL processes, tables, and visualizations supporting Common App’s commitment to access and equity across the organization’s functional areas. They will also collaborate closely with our Technology Services (Data Warehousing Engineering), Product Strategy, and Data Analytics and Research teams to maximize the impact of the data warehouse. 

Our organization is dedicated to reimagining college admissions to be more simple, logical, joyful, and equitable. Additionally, we hope to expand access to more low- and middle-income students via partnerships and innovations, leverage our data and research to be a voice for equity in the admissions process, and connect students to financial aid resources, information, and opportunities.

Requirements

This role requires:

• Candidates must live in the United States.
• Bachelors degree in quantitative social sciences discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Economics, Education Policy, Education Measurement, Psychometrics, Computational Psychology, etc.) or related quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics); or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 4-6 years of related experience: data reporting, SQL, database architecture, ETL procedures, data analytics, data mining, data operations, and data quality. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience in designing and implementing data warehousing, reporting, and analytic systems.
• Experience working with and validating imperfect data.
• Experience with descriptive and inferential statistics. 
• Experience working with National Center for Education Statistics, Census, College Scorecard, National Student Clearinghouse, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and/or other publicly available datasets relevant to education.
• Fluent in data manipulation and coding with SQL and/or R.
• Understanding of the strategic context of Common Application’s role in the higher education industry. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and service orientation.
• Proven ability to communicate data and research findings to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative and diverse environment

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Master’s or doctorate degree in a quantitative discipline and at least one year of related experience.
• 2-4 years of related experience with data visualization (Tableau, R preferred).
• 2-4 years of related experience with Atlassian tools, Git, Databricks, AWS Sagemaker, or S3. 
• Fluent data manipulation and coding with tools such as SQL, Python, Tableau, and R.
• Passion for higher education.
• Experience working with Agile frameworks for cross-functional, product-minded collaboration.
• Teaching and supporting non-data experts in the use and interpretation of data.

PAY RANGE

Target hiring salary range $95,000-99,845

Benefits

Common App is a virtual first environment. We value our employees’ time and efforts. Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive salary and an extensive benefits package including: 

• Work-Life balance
• Virtual-first office
• Seven company-wide holidays
• Nine floating holidays*
• Sick leave
• Monthly mental health day

*floating holidays prorated depending on start date

• Virtual-first support
• Choice of PC of MAC laptop
• May choose an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and/or headset
• One-time office set-up stipend
• Monthly remote work stipend
• Monthly mobile stipend
• Financial security
• Market-based salaries
• Performance-based bonus
• 403(b) retirement plan
• 5% company contribution
• additional 5% company match
• 3-year vesting schedule
• Participation may begin immediately
• Health & wellness
• Choice of two health insurance plans
• Health Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Medical Flexible Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Insurance coverage begins on the date of hire
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Maven virtual clinic for women’s and family health
• Company provided life and ad&d insurance
• Opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for self, spouse, and dependents
• Company provided short and long-term disability insurance
• Career development
• Budgeted annual funds for professional development
• Growth opportunities within the company
• Additional perks
• Mutual of Omaha Employee Assistance Program
• Mutual of Omaha will preparation services
• Mutual of Omaha travel assistance
• Payroll dedication pet insurance through PinPaws
• 1Password family account

We work to maintain the best possible environment for our staff, where people can learn and grow. We strive to provide a diverse, collaborative, team-oriented, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

HOW DO I APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations.

Common App is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to students and those who support them as they make their way through the college selection and application process. Our mission began 40 years ago and today we provide a centralized way to apply to more than 800 institutions around the world. We continue to be driven by the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process and we won’t stop until all students see college as a viable option and enjoy the opportunities it offers.