The Data Analyst supports the three-year Supporting Families That Support Their
Kin project, a statewide randomized controlled trial and implementation and cost
evaluation of Tennessee's Relative Caregiver Program (RCP). Reporting to the
Applied Research Team Lead and working closely with the Lead Evaluator, the
analyst manages secure, de-identified administrative, provider, survey,
fidelity, qualitative-tracking, and cost data; develops reproducible data
systems and quality controls; monitors randomization and study operations;
conducts statistical analyses; and produces dashboards, reports, and
visualizations for continuous quality improvement, federal reporting, and
potential Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse review. The analyst
collaborates with SWORPS, Tennessee DCS, seven RCP providers, the Children's
Bureau, and the federal Evaluation Technical Assistance provider while
protecting participant confidentiality and study integrity.
This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of
the grant.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Data Management and Integration:
Develop and maintain data dictionaries, database specifications, secure
transfer and linkage workflows, reproducible analytic files, and
version-controlled code.
Receive, clean, standardize, de-duplicate, merge, and document de-identified
DCS administrative data, provider records, caregiver surveys, fidelity and
dosage data, focus-group tracking data, and program cost records.
Work with DCS as source and linkage authority and maintain separation of
identifiers, survey data, analytic data, and incentive records under approved
agreements and protocols.
Data Quality and Study Operations:
Build and run validation rules, audit trails, exception reports, and
monthly/quarterly quality checks addressing completeness, timeliness, missing
or duplicate records, linkage success, crossovers, emergency overrides,
protocol deviations, provider variation, and survey retention.
Monitor centralized family-level randomization, assignment balance,
enrollment flow, and data-system readiness across all seven providers.
Investigate root causes and coordinate documented corrective actions with
assigned owners and deadlines.
Statistical and Cost Analysis:
Support power and minimum-detectable-effect calculations and implement
prespecified impact, implementation, fidelity, dosage, subgroup, sensitivity,
missing-data, and cost analyses using reproducible statistical programming.
Estimate costs per caregiver family and child and variation by service
intensity. Verify assumptions, protect randomized-condition integrity,
conduct disclosure review and small-cell suppression, and clearly distinguish
descriptive findings from causal estimates.
Reporting, Visualization, and CQI:
Create and maintain monthly dashboards and accessible tables, charts, and
data summaries for enrollment, reach, timeliness, fidelity, dosage, service
linkages, survey completion, outcomes, and costs.
Translate technical findings into accurate, actionable information for DCS,
providers, caregivers, project leadership, federal partners, and
policymakers.
Contribute analyses and graphics to semiannual reports, the integrated final
evaluation report, executive and plain-language summaries, presentations, and
a submission-ready evidence package.
Collaboration, Documentation, and Technical Assistance:
Participate in project, provider, data-governance, fidelity, and CQI
meetings; document analytic decisions, code, datasets, measures, and
procedures; train and assist staff and providers with data definitions,
secure reporting, dashboards, and quality expectations; respond to approved
data requests; and maintain required human-subjects, confidentiality,
information-security, and records-management practices.
May provide work direction to student or temporary data staff without
performance-management authority.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Qualifications
Education and/or Experience:
Master’s degree in analytics, statistics, data science, public health,
economics, computer science, social science, or a related quantitative
field.
At least three years of professional experience beyond coursework in data
management, statistical analysis, data reporting, and visualization,
including demonstrated experience cleaning and linking data from multiple
sources and communicating findings clearly in writing and orally.
A relevant master's degree with substantial applied research, internship,
or project experience may substitute for up to one year of the required
experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Knowledge of statistical analysis, research design, survey methods,
randomized controlled trials, and program evaluation.
Knowledge of relational data structures, data dictionaries, record linkage,
data-quality controls, and reproducible research practices.
Knowledge of confidentiality, human-subjects protections, data-use
agreements, secure data handling, disclosure review, and ethical use of
sensitive administrative data.
Advanced skill using R, SQL, or comparable statistical and data-management
tools.
Advanced skill in data cleaning, validation, merging, missing-data
assessment, statistical modeling, and documentation.
Skill creating clear dashboards and visualizations in Power BI, Tableau, R,
Python, or comparable tools.
Skill translating complex analyses into accurate written, oral, and visual
products for technical and nontechnical audiences.
Ability to detect and resolve complex data problems, manage competing
deadlines, and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to work independently within approved protocols and collaborate
effectively with researchers, state agencies, service providers, federal
partners, and community stakeholders.
Ability to document reproducible workflows, protect study integrity, and
provide data-related training and technical assistance.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a
full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for
employment-based visa status.
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Doctoral degree in analytics, statistics, data science, public health,
economics, computer science, social science, or a related quantitative
field.
Experience:
Experience supporting randomized or quasi-experimental program evaluations;
working with longitudinal child welfare, human services, health, education,
or other sensitive administrative data; developing automated quality checks
and dashboards; conducting implementation, fidelity, survey, or cost
analyses; and collaborating with government agencies, community service
providers, and multidisciplinary research teams.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Knowledge of child welfare, kinship care, human services, implementation
science, continuous quality improvement, or Title IV-E evidence standards.
Skill working with longitudinal administrative records, provider service
data, survey platforms, randomized-assignment systems, cost data, and
geographic or provider-level data.
Skill using Git or other version control, automated data pipelines, secure
data environments, and accessible visualization practices.
Ability to support advanced impact, multilevel, sensitivity, attrition,
cost, and mixed-method integration analyses.
Ability to facilitate participatory, action-oriented conversations that
help partners use data to improve services.
Work Location
This is a remote position. The successful candidate must reside in Tennessee and
be able to work remotely from a Tennessee residence. Occasional travel
throughout Tennessee may be required.
Compensation and Benefits
UT market range: MR10
Anticipated hiring range: $70,000.00
Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
[https://hr.tennessee.edu/pay/market-ranges/]
Find more information on UT Benefits here
[https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/]
Application Instructions
Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7
days from posting.
Interested individuals should provide the following:
Resume
Cover Letter
About The College/Department/Division
The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is an applied
research center of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (CSW). We
are a dynamic and close-knit interdisciplinary team of individuals with a shared
vision of thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all. We do that by
building partnerships that leverage research, technology, and human connection
to improve lives in Tennessee and beyond.
Over the past fifty years, SWORPS has worked with local nonprofits such as the
United Way of Greater Knoxville, University of Tennessee departments and faculty
researchers, state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Human Services,
and federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our
annual portfolio consists of 25-40 sponsored projects spanning a wealth of
different content areas, but one common thread -each project contributes one
more building block for thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all.
Learn more about SWORPS and some of our programs and resources by visiting our
webpage: https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/ [https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/]
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and
innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more
than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold
the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and
service.
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting
colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its
footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie
classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry
leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the
Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of
Public Service.
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that
focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols
are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career
development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of
development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience
implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent,
fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and
engagement for everyone.
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning
and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that
Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked
nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large
Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best
Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!