Research Analyst

Department
 

UL Urban Crime Lab Analysts

About the Department
 

Who We Are: In cities across the country, people face high rates of gun violence, under-resourced schools, and social harms associated with the criminal justice system -- all of which disproportionately impact people of color. These inequalities have profound consequences on public safety and opportunity. As a society we have failed to address these challenges, in part, because of our lack of understanding of the most effective and cost-effective solutions that can have a real impact on people’s lives. We believe that rigorous research can help. The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab partner with cities and communities to use data and rigorous research to design, test, and scale programs and policies that enhance public safety, improve educational outcomes, and advance justice. Our mission is to combine world-class data science and research, in partnership with government agencies, to substantially improve the effectiveness of the public sector and achieve impact at scale. To learn more about the Crime Lab and Education Lab, visit https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/labs/crime. The UChicago Crime Lab and Education Lab are seeking Research Analysts with strong technical skills to work on large-scale social policy research projects designed to reduce crime and improve educational outcomes. The analyst will work on a portfolio of projects across a variety of areas that span both criminal justice and education. The successful candidate will have experience in applying a variety of statistical modeling and data analysis techniques to datasets in real-world settings. From project inception to delivery, the Research Analyst will contribute to all facets of data collection and cleaning, model development, and implementation. This position requires an individual who is able to work as a part of small research teams running multiple projects concurrently. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers at the University of Chicago and NYC-area universities, local city agency staff, as well as a team of administrative staff, other analysts, research managers, and student research assistants.

Job Summary
 

The job performs a range of activities to support the statistical design and implementation of research analysis. Uses knowledge of statistics to communicate analyses for research proposals and draft reports detailing their results. Follows objectives and procedures for sampling, randomization, data collection, analysis, and quality control.

Responsibilities

• Works with partners and members of the research team to propose and implement analytical approaches to solving specific research questions.

• Cleans, transforms, merges, and matches between large and complex research and administrative datasets.

• Builds statistical models for a variety of research projects.

• Performs sampling, power analysis, and randomization.

• Prepares results for memos, presentations, and academic papers targeting both policymakers and researchers.

• Assists with literature reviews and drafting papers.

• Performs a range of activities to facilitate the design of research project and the publication of their results. Uses knowledge of statistics to help develop objectives and statistical procedures for the project.

• Helps develop and implements new innovative procedures in the areas of data collection, quality control, presentation of results, and statistical analysis.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in economics, sociology, public policy, statistics, computer science, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• Relevant research experience required. Experience gained in school counts towards qualifications.
• Working with field experiments or randomized controlled trials.
• Program evaluation methods (e.g., difference-in-differences, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity).
• Creating data visualizations.
• Conducting power analysis.
• Imputing missing data.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experience working with statistical programming languages (R or Python experience strongly preferred).
• Working with large, complex, and/or administrative datasets.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong interest in data analysis.
• Strong interest in social policy, especially crime and education policy.
• Strong quantitative skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member.
• Ability to work carefully with sensitive and confidential data.
• Knowledge and understanding of crime, violence and/or education policy and research literature.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Research

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.