Data Engineer, CGIR

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation.

This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey.

Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.




Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia.

The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities.

With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.


The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.




Posted Job Title
Data Engineer, CGIR


Job Profile Title
Data Analyst D


Job Description Summary
The Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) is an unconditional cash-transfer research center headquartered at the
School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

CGIR conducts applied cash-transfer studies and pilot designs in concert with community-based organizations and government stakeholders to add to the empirical scholarship on cash, economic mobility, and poverty.

CGIR is currently conducting the world’s largest multi-site evaluation of nearly 40 guaranteed income pilots across the nation as part of The American Guaranteed Income Studies (AmGIS).

Using a common research design and a core survey across its pilot sites, the aims of AmGIS are to (1) facilitate comparisons across pilot sites, and (2) create a singular master dataset pooling data from more than 19,000 study participants across treatment and control groups.

In addition, CGIR is augmenting its original survey data with administrative data from across its diverse pilot sites.

The Data Engineer will work closely with CGIR’s Biostatistician, Center Leadership, and Research Scientists to design and manage the data infrastructure for the AmGIS sites described above.

This portfolio of work includes: (1) the organization and structuring of raw data; (2) the oversight of data quality assurance, cleaning, and control activities; (3) the collation of individual site-specific datasets into a singular, master dataset; (4) the integration of original, survey data with administrative data; and (5) the security, integrity, and storage of data sets, codebooks, coding, and other associated documentation.

In sum, the Data Engineer will be responsible for all tasks related to data acquisition; data transformation and cleaning; data integration; and data storage and security.

In addition, the Data Engineer will also supervise student research assistants.

A bachelor’s degree and 3 -5 years’ experience is required.

Preferably in computer engineering, information systems or a related field is required, and an advanced graduate degree is preferred.

A minimum of 1-2 years of professional experience in data engineering, cloud platforms or database is mandatory with demonstrated expertise in coding and programming in both SQL and Python, data warehousing, machine learning, cloud computing, data integration tools, and data security.

Additional requisite skills include strong critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, problem-solving skills, and experience supervising.

This is a hybrid position with a requirement of 2-3 days per week in-person on campus.



Contingent upon grant funding.


Job Description

Job Responsibilities:


Data Infrastructure and Management:

+ Develop robust data cleaning and validation pipelines with comprehensive error checking

+ Create and maintain metadata standards and documentation systems for research datasets

+ Collaborate with IT team on cloud infrastructure migration and data security protocols

+ Design and implement systematic approaches to data quality assurance and control

+ Build processes for integrating multi-site datasets into master research databases

+ Establish version control and reproducible workflows for all data processing activities

Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning

+ Apply machine learning and advanced statistical techniques to research questions

+ Develop predictive models and analytical frameworks for longitudinal data

+ Create data visualizations

+ Conduct complex data linkage and matching between survey and administrative datasets

+ Support multiple research studies with timely, high-quality analytical deliverables

Research Collaboration, Supervision, and Communication:

+ Collaborate with center leadership and research scientists on study design and methodology

+ Translate complex technical concepts for diverse stakeholder audiences

+ Contribute to grant proposals, white papers, and peer-reviewed publications

+ Present findings to academic, policy, and media audiences

+ Participate in research team meetings and project planning activities

+ Supervise student research assistants as needed


Project management:

+ Develop and manage timelines for data cleaning

Other duties as assigned

+ Must support SP2 Graduation and Commencement activities
Qualifications


+ Bachelor of Science, Bachelors of Science, and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Preferably in computer engineering, information systems or a related field is required, and an advanced graduate degree is preferred.

A minimum of 1-2 years of professional experience in data engineering, cloud platforms or database is mandatory with demonstrated expertise in coding and programming in both SQL and Python, data warehousing, machine learning, cloud computing, data integration tools, and data security.

Additional requisite skills include strong critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, problem-solving skills, and experience supervising.

This is a hybrid position with a requirement of 2-3 days per week in-person on campus.


Contingent upon grant funding.




Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Department / School
School of Social Policy and Practice


Pay Range
$70,500.00 - $95,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level.

Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.


Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .




Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made.

Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.




University Benefits
+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare.

You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits .

You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn.

Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future.

Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis.

Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year.

This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility.

If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements.

Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life.

That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities.

Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries.

There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples.

As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff.

Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff.

You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments.

These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.




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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

The University of Pennsylvania’s special character is reflected in the wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of the Penn community.

We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community and help create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Required Skill Profession

Other General