Data Analyst: Social Work Office of Research & Public Service - UTK

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
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

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/ 

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!