Data Scientist – Program Evaluation, Analytics

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Virginia.

📋 Description

• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of analytics products that integrate SQL-backed data, Microsoft Power Apps/Power BI, and reproducible analytical workflows.

• Collaborate with program leadership and business stakeholders to define questions, populations, outcomes, time frames, decisions, and analytical goals.

• Convert ambiguous requirements into clear technical and analytical specifications.

• Write optimized SQL for complex relational datasets and create analysis-ready cohorts.

• Ensure accuracy by validating joins, grain, keys, duplicates, missing data, and denominators.

• Create and sustain Power BI dashboards and Power Apps experiences.

• Employ appropriate analytical methods, including descriptive, predictive, and causal techniques such as regression, longitudinal analysis, survival/time-to-event methods, cohort balancing, missing-data approaches, and model diagnostics.

• Develop modular, reproducible workflows in Python or R for data manipulation, visualization, statistical modeling, and reporting.

• Implement consistent data quality and reproducibility checks.

• Review and reconcile legacy SAS workflows, aiding in the transition to validated Python workflows.

• Establish milestones and acceptance criteria, monitor dependencies and obstacles, and communicate progress through reviewable work products.

• Interpret analytical results, conveying program implications, limitations, operational consequences, and suggested next steps.

• Offer technical guidance, conduct peer reviews, and uphold standards for data, dashboards, documentation, testing, and analytical evaluation.

• Utilize approved VA environments while adhering to PII, PHI, data minimization, and access control guidelines.

• Independently validate approved generative AI outputs, data handling practices, statistical reasoning, and conclusions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, data science, computer science, information systems, quantitative social science, econometrics, or a related field.

• 6+ years of progressively responsible experience in data analytics, program evaluation, business intelligence, application/data development, or a related quantitative discipline.

• Proficient SQL skills with experience in complex relational data models, cohort construction, joins, data validation, and analysis-ready datasets.

• Strong Python or R proficiency for reproducible analysis, including data manipulation, visualization, statistical modeling, and reporting.

• Capability to differentiate between descriptive, predictive, and causal questions; select and justify suitable methods; assess uncertainty and practical significance.

• Familiarity with version control, modular coding, testing, peer review, documentation, and rerunnable analyses.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey analytical findings and technical tradeoffs in accessible language.

• Sound judgment in handling sensitive healthcare, outcomes, public health, or program data, including PII/PHI and authorized AI tools.

• Ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance.

• Desired: experience with VA, suicide prevention, mental health, healthcare outcomes, public health, or program-evaluation data.

• Desired: experience with mortality, survival, longitudinal outcomes, propensity methods, weighting, matching, causal inference, or cohort-balancing techniques.

• Desired: experience in modernizing legacy analytical pipelines, particularly SAS-to-Python migration.

• Desired: hands-on experience with Power BI and Power Apps; familiarity with Power Query, M, and DAX is preferred.

• Desired: experience presenting to non-technical audiences and translating analytical results into programmatic decisions.

• Desired: experience in product/delivery leadership, backlog prioritization, requirements gathering, and cross-functional coordination.

• Desired: certifications in Microsoft Power Platform, Agile, project management, or related fields are a plus.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

• Opportunities for professional development and growth.

• Collaborative and inclusive work environment.