Data Specialist- Land Use Modeling

About Houston-Galveston Area Council 

The Houston-Galveston Area Council is one of the largest regional planning commissions in the country with a diverse service area of 13 counties and more than 7 million people. We are the pulse of our region addressing issues that cross city limits and county lines every single day.  

We make decisions that affect our transportation system, ensure the safety and well-being of our seniors, connect people to jobs, help families recover from natural disasters, preserve water quality for our children, and so much more. We work to make the region a great place to live, work, and thrive. 

What will I be doing?

• Assist in developing and managing regional and sub-regional demographic, economic, and land use forecasting models and tools for transportation planning, economic development, flood mitigation, and community and environmental planning.
• Collect, process, and analyze data from the US Census Bureau, other federal and state agencies, county appraisal districts, and private data sources.
• Provide technical and analytical support and serve as a point of contact for internal and external data requests.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of data through quality control and offer innovative solutions to improve forecasting efforts. Proficiency in handling data frames, designing data sets, maintaining large volumes of data, conducting data analysis and reporting, and reading and writing SAS code is essential.

Key Qualifications

• Extensive experience in data frames, data set design, maintaining large volumes of data, and producing forecasting models and reports.
• Proficient in reading and writing SAS code for data processing and management, which is crucial for success in this role.
• Strong background in demographic and economic theory and models.
• Experience in analyzing Census, employment, and real estate data.
• Hands-on experience with BASE SAS, SAS SQL, and SAS MACRO.
• Knowledge of population, employment, and land use forecast modeling.

Do you have…

• Bachelor’s degree in an applicable academic discipline or related field of study
• Less than a year of experience working with local government, nonprofit programs, school or in job related duties 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with SAS or Python.
• A candidate eager to learn new skills in a fast-paced environment.

Expected Hiring Salary Range

$60,000.00 - $75,000.00