Community Research and Data Specialist

The Institute for Social Transformation (Institute) at the University of California Santa Cruz invites applications for a Research and Data Scientist position, which will make substantial contributions to community-engaged research within Institute affiliated centers and supported faculty fellows.

The Institute is a collaborative of scholars and community leaders committed to research-based solutions addressing the most complex and urgent social and environmental challenges of our time. Our staff excel at partnering with non-academic agencies, organizations, and organizers regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Research and Data Scientist will work closely with community members, Institute staff, and affiliated academic principal investigators to develop meaningful research benefiting society's marginalized groups.

Through surveys, interviews, and secondary research, this position will play a central role in establishing data sovereignty and empower research contributions that legitimize underrepresented voices.

Working under the direction of the Institute’s executive director, the successful candidate will participate in multiple research projects across the Social Sciences Division. Topics may include, but are not limited to, climate mitigation, community health, labor empowerment, solidarity economics, and research ethics.

Responsibilities will include quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; draft papers and research reports; assist with the preparation of grant applications; and independently manage data aspects on multiple research projects. For each project, the incumbent may be expected to develop itemized scopes of work, establish research methods, track and convey the progress of research deliverables with funders, propose ideas for realigning project timelines, and collaborate with project and public leaders to communicate research outcomes through publications and community events.

The position will require the incumbent to demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication skills; independently establish trusted partnerships with community members, faculty, staff, and students; follow - up on commitments and timelines, prioritize workload, and meet deadlines.

The successful candidate will be excellent at multitasking and extremely self-motivated; have experience working in culturally diverse settings with organizations committed to social justice and sustainability; and they will be familiar with common public data sources in key topic areas of concern including economic, labor market, environmental and public health data sets.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to reside in the Santa Cruz commute shed. While remote work is a possibility, the candidate must be willing to travel to meet with project team and community members, as needed.

Applicants with the any of the following areas of expertise are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Experience in statistical analysis of data sets (including use of SPSS, Stata, R, or similar software packages);
• Experience in qualitative coding and analysis (including use of Nvivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose, or similar software);
• Experience in Qualtrics survey development and management;
• Knowledge of ArcGIS; experience with writing and preparing grant applications;
• Experience with presenting data findings across diverse settings; and/or
• Bilingual in Spanish and English