Data Scientist

Job Description

VoteShield (a project of Protect Democracy) seeks a highly motivated and civic-minded Data Scientist to join our growing team. VoteShield supports election officials in maintaining complete and accurate voter data in order to protect free and fair elections for all qualified voters. As a member of this world-class analysis and engineering team, you will analyze public voter registration data, work with election administrators, support Protect Democracy on a variety of data projects, and grow your technical skills. This position is remote* based in the US.

Ideal candidates will be critical thinkers with a command of data analysis techniques and the ability to distill findings into clear, accessible reports, presentations, and other data tools. We are seeking people who bring an interest in civic data, commitment to non-partisanship, and passion for defending and strengthening our democracy through free and fair elections.

At Protect Democracy, we bring an integrated advocacy approach to solving issues facing U.S. democracy. As a part of our integrated advocacy approach, our data scientists conduct analyses that support our mission alongside legal and policy experts, organizers, and communications strategists. Together, we run novel data experiments that address a range of critical pro-democracy use cases, from enhancing the security and confidence in our elections to making federal spending more transparent and accountable, to informing and inspiring advocacy for proportional representation.

We do not expect that any one candidate will have all of the experiences and requirements listed — our current data science team comes from a variety of professional backgrounds, including academia and the public and private sectors. We highly encourage you to apply if the job description gets you excited about the role and the work of Protect Democracy & VoteShield.

As a data scientist, you will:

• Review and analyze changes in public voter registration data and absentee ballot data in order to provide election officials with timely insights and answers to data questions;
• Write and present data reports that are accessible to the team, partners, and election administrators;
• Conduct legal/policy research as needed to provide context for your reports; contribute to research that utilizes VoteShield’s unique datasets and skills to assess election administration policies;
• Partner with colleagues across Protect Democracy to enhance their work with data analyses, custom tools, automation, and more;
• Expand and enrich our current data with external datasets;
• Create, refine, and document your standards for reporting, and compare and collaborate to develop best practices for the team;
• Build and maintain relationships with current and prospective partners in the election community.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate brings:

• Interest in public or civic data and commitment to data-driven and non-partisan analysis;
• Ability to communicate a clear story with data, both in writing and presenting, that describes the context, insights, conclusions, and open questions;
• Proficiency in Python;
• A relevant bachelors degree, or equivalent experience;
• Growth mindset and comfortability with an open and transparent culture that values feedback up, down and sideways;
• Excellent critical thinking skills, demonstrated by enthusiasm for investigating novel problems and exercising sound judgment about how to get to optimal solutions;
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution;
• Ability to track, prioritize, and, where necessary, triage work in order to use time in the most efficient and productive way;
• Comfort working with small teams, proactively working to build the organizational culture and figure out what’s needed to move your work forward.

Pluses, but not required:

• Experience in social science research;
• Knowledge of public policy and/or political science;
• Experience with election administration or voting data.

• Flexible location. We are a remote-first organization based exclusively in the United States, meaning our staff work within the US and primarily virtually. We also offer shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment. We are established for remote work in many states across the country, and while candidates based anywhere in the United States are welcome to apply, we may not be able to offer employment in your current location. If you proceed in the hiring process, we will discuss where you currently live and what is possible in our initial interview. All staff are also required to travel at least two times per year to team retreats, and this role may require periodic travel. Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.
• Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthens our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
• Phenomenal benefits. Our benefits package includes generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy where we encourage team members to take 4-5 weeks every year, along with 12 paid holidays, 6 weeks of paid family medical leave, and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately. Additionally, we cover employee medical premiums at 100% (with up to 95% coverage for dependents depending on plan selection), and employee and dependent’s dental/vision at 100%. All employees have access to long-term disability and life insurance, fertility benefits, a home office stipend, and bonuses at the discretion of the Executive Director.
• Ample opportunities for personal & professional development. Candidates who do not meet all listed criteria should still apply, as our organizational structure focuses on providing mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.