Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor.
Requisition ID: 1702
Position Summary
- We’re seeking a passionate Senior Data Scientist to be a leader in data science and engineering on IPA’s global research and data science (GRDS) team. You lead meaningful impact on global development through innovative data science.
- In this role, you’ll collaborate with an international team to drive technical innovation and research methods at IPA. We value your unique perspective and creative problem-solving skills as you work on applied machine learning projects that leverage predictive modelling, natural language processing, and large language models.
- Your expertise in Python, SQL, and cloud computing will be instrumental in transforming complex data across diverse research projects to generate actionable insights.
- We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where you can grow, learn, and contribute to data and research projects that matter. We value unique perspectives and offer a supportive environment where team members can grow professionally while contributing to meaningful research and data science solutions.
Responsibilities
60%:
- Lead data science and machine learning projects
- Develop and optimize scalable data infrastructure and analytics pipelines
- Drive the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, including NLP and LLMs
- Develop original code for research and data software solutions
- Provide feedback to peers and mentor colleagues through code review and testing
- Mentor research and data science colleagues, fostering a culture of innovation and inclusion
- Lead the development of training on data science software solutions, methods, and tools
- Contribute to GRDS research resources on project management
40%:
- Collaborate with leadership and international partners on high-impact projects
- Managing complex data science projects, often with a high degree of ambiguity
- Manage Strategic partnership with IPA country offices, sector programs, policy teams, and Right-fit Evidence unit to plan, implement, and ensure timely completion of research and data science projects
- Provide direct technical assistance to IPA research Projects
- Deliver, weekly, monthly and quarterly updates to internal IPA stakeholders on project and product development for research and data science projects
- Represent the organization at conferences and in the broader data science community
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Data Science, or related discipline)
- 4+ years’ experience in a data science or data engineering setting
- 2+ years’ experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and analytics databases (Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift, Motherduck, Clickhouse)
- 2+ year(s) customer-facing, project-delivery experience, professional services, and/or consulting experience
- Proven leadership in developing Python data science projects and/or projects
- Proficiency in SQL for database querying and analytics
- Proven experience with version control systems like Git
- Familiarity with working with data APIs and integrating diverse data sources
- Ability to lead and maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
Preferred:
- Technical knowledge of best practices for applied machine learning
- Background in applying NLP techniques and working with LLMs
- Strong understanding and ability to present data analysis through impactful data storytelling and visualization
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
- Experience with project management tools (e.g. Jira, Asana)
- Experience with data engineering tools for ELT (e.g. dlt, SQLMesh, dbt)
- Experience with additional data science and econometrics software such as R or Stata
- Familiarity with research quality standards and best practices in survey data collection and data management
- Experience working with international development organizations or research institutions
- Familiarity with ICT for development concepts and applications
- Ability to work in one (or more) of the following languages: Spanish, French, Swahili
Work Model:
- Hybrid remote + country office work environment;
- International travel at least 1-2 times per year.
Method of Application
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