Data Architect

Department
 

Consortium Research Stevens

About the Department
 

The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice (Crown Family School) builds upon a legacy of more than a century of scholarship, education and leadership in social work and social welfare, blending a distinctive interdisciplinary tradition with applied problem-solving to foster innovative solutions to some of society’s most pressing social problems. For more information about the Crown School, please visit our website at: https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/.

The University of Chicago Crown Family School is the academic home to the Urban Education Institute (UEI), an internationally and nationally renowned institute with the aim of promoting applied research on youth development and learning in formal and informal settings. UEI conducts rigorous applied research, trains researchers and practitioners, and provides research-based tools and resources in schools across the country.

Job Summary
 

For over 30 years, the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research (UChicago Consortium) has informed solutions to the most difficult problems facing urban schools. The UChicago Consortium is committed to better understanding the fundamental practices and conditions that advance student learning, promote attainment, and foster more equitable outcomes. We work in a highly collaborative environment that produces research of high technical quality to inform policy and practice in the Chicago Public Schools, as well as schools nationwide. A central component of our work is engaging with a diverse set of stakeholders and stimulating evidence-driven discourse about the vital issues facing schools. The UChicago Consortium has been described as the “gold standard” for education research-practice partnerships and has been replicated nationally. Our research has been an essential factor in improving outcomes for students and school staff, both in Chicago and in school districts across the country. For more information about the UChicago Consortium, see consortium.uchicago.edu.

The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research is seeking a Data Architect to lead the effort in revamping their data architecture to improve efficiency and consistent and reliable access to data for Consortium researchers. The Consortium has been storing and analyzing educational data from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for decades. The role of the Data Architect position is to develop and implement the transition of our data system from processing flat data files to developing and maintaining a new solution for managing data (e.g., a relational database) either using our internal resources or contracting and serving as the primary point of contact with a third-party database developer. The successful candidate will be able to independently handle multiple concurrent tasks and work in a highly collaborative environment. This position is in-person for the first six months and has an option to be hybrid after six months.

Responsibilities

• Develop new data architecture and systems (50%):

• Lead the process of analyzing, planning, and defining data architecture framework, including security, reference data, metadata, and master data or work closely with a third-party vendor to execute these tasks.

• Collaborate closely with Consortium management, research staff, and IT team to develop and implement a data strategy, data management processes, and data requirements that meet their needs and data security requirements.

• Translate business requirements into databases, data warehouses, and data streams.

• Creating procedures to ensure data accuracy and accessibility.

• Convene and work closely with Consortium staff to determine data definitions and best practices to structure variables, data, and documentation.

• Developing application programming interfaces (APIs) to retrieve data.

• Supervise research analysts in tasks related to building new data architecture. 

• Maintenance of the data library and documentation (30%):

• Supervise research analysts in processing data transfers, cleaning data, creating variables, building datasets, maintaining the data library, and data documentation.

• Perform periodical data checks to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and accessibility.

• Maintain a repository of all data cleaning and architecture procedures and artifacts.

• Oversee the development and maintenance of data documentation, including decision rules on variables and new data sources.

• Keep up-to-date on current technology being used in the field. With the support of the Consortium, attend training to ensure the skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in the current position.

• Support research staff (20%):

• Meet regularly with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) research and data staff and Consortium researchers to discuss data requests and ensure data received meet the Consortium’s analytical needs. 

• Be the primary point of contact for communication around data for the CPS and other data partners in support of Consortium research staff.

• Communicate regularly with Consortium research staff on data needs and updates and answer ad hoc data questions and requests.

• Develop and maintain a system to collaborate with Consortium staff to support data needs such as creating new variables and datasets.

• Review the Scope of Work of each research project at the Consortium jointly with the Managing Director of Statistics and Analysis to ensure data needed is available.

• Provide ongoing professional development opportunities to Consortium staff regarding data use.

• Leads the development of Business Intelligence (BI) and other analytical applications. Works to achieve an integrated reporting and analysis environment, effectively leveraging analytical systems and tools.

• Leads requirements analysis, translating requirements into a scope document and developing reporting deliverables based on the design.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

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

---
Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

---
Certifications:

---

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• A master’s degree in computer science, information technology, data management, software development, business intelligence, or other related fields.

• An equivalent combination of related education, training and/or experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential job functions.

Experience:

• Seven years of experience analyzing data, working and understanding data processes or working with large scale student or business systems.

• Data processing to uncover patterns, anomalies, and correlations in large data sets.

• Data management to efficiently and cost-effectively collect, store, and use data.

• Coding languages like Python and Java to develop applications for data analysis.

• Machine learning to build scalable systems for handling big data.

• Structured query language (SQL) to manipulate data.

• Data modeling tools like ERWin or Visio to visualize metadata and database schema.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong communication and collaboration skills; problem-solving and analytical skills; time management and the ability to multitask.

• Project management skills.

• Experience translating organizational data needs into functional requirements for database developers to use.

• Related experience in an educational or research setting.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover letter (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
 

Information Technology

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or 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.