Education and Workforce Data Strategist

AIR’s Employment Economic Opportunity Program is seeking a Education and Workforce Data Strategist to integrate applied research, data science, and capacity-building for public sector change management. The position will work with internal teams and external partners to support the effective use of education and workforce administrative data for decision-making, continuous improvement, and policy development within and across states. The ideal candidate brings experience working with complex datasets and is equally comfortable conducting analyses and guiding others in how to interpret and use data in applied settings. This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) (not including U.S. territories) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations but requires availability to participate in meetings across all continental U.S. time zones. About AIR: Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all. Responsibilities: Conduct quantitative analyses using administrative and survey data to support research, evaluation, and technical assistance efforts. Contribute to the design of analytic approaches, including descriptive, longitudinal, and quasi-experimental methods. Provide coaching and technical assistance to state and local clients and partners on the use of data for decision making. Support clients in refining research questions, interpreting findings, and applying results to practice. Design and facilitate workshops, trainings, or office hours to strengthen data use capacity among government and community-based organizations. Prepare, clean, validate, and document complex administrative datasets. Support data integration and linkage efforts across education and workforce systems within and across states. Translate analytic findings into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences. Contribute to written deliverables, including reports, briefs, presentations, and data visualizations. Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, data scientists, and project staff. Support multiple projects simultaneously, contributing to deliverables and timelines. Apply and model best practices in reproducible research, including code documentation and version control. Ensure data quality and integrity across all phases of analytic work. Qualifications: Education, Knowledge, and Experience PhD in related subject area (Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Public Health, Human Development, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or related fields), or a Master’s degree with a minimum of 4 years of relevant applied research experience. Experience working on research or evaluation projects for federal, state, or local agencies or other public or nonprofit entities. Demonstrated experience with research design, data analysis, and reporting. Experience with data collection activities from the field using a variety of methodologies and data collection techniques such as interviews, focus groups, observations, and/or survey research. Familiarity with federal contracting and compliance standards is preferred, but not required. Skills Demonstrated ability to conduct quantitative analyses and support others in analytic thinking and data use. Proficiency in one or more statistical/programming languages (e.g., R, Python). Experience working with administrative or operational datasets, including data cleaning, validation, and documentation and experience linking or integrating datasets across systems or agencies. Experience using AI tools to synthesize information, draft content, analyze data, ... (truncated, view full listing at source)