Data Scientist

Overview 

The Bronx Defenders (BxD), an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx, seeks a Data Scientist, to join our Data Team.

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Description

The Data Scientist will play a critical role in advancing our mission and organizational goals by transforming data into actionable insights. This position will lead quantitative research initiatives, build predictive and evaluative models, and support data-driven storytelling that informs holistic defense, policy, litigation, advocacy, and community engagement. The Data Scientist will join the Data team at BxD that is focused on collaborating with Practices and Departments to deliver key insights.

The Data Scientist role is unique as you will work at the intersection of public defense, community advocacy, and data science. Few data roles offer the opportunity to directly influence litigation strategy, legislative reform, and community-based systemic change.

Responsibilities

Data Strategy & Analysis

• Design and implement data collection, cleaning, and validation processes
• Analyze large-scale administrative, demographic, and policy datasets
• Develop statistical and machine learning models to assess and quantify impact of advocacy, client and community engagement
• Conduct geospatial and longitudinal analyses relevant to the communities we serve
• Ensure methodological rigor, transparency, and ethical data practices

Research & Cross Practice Support

• Collaborate with Practices and Departments to identify research needs as well as determine and advance relevant projects
• Compile and deliver reports and presentations reflecting the translation of complex findings into accessible content and visualizations
• Provide data and analytical support in the compilation of materials and content for distribution internally and externally to the community as well as to BxD supporters and collaborators
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of Data Science

Data Infrastructure

• Build and maintain data pipelines and dashboards
• Lead the redesign of dashboards and implement a data quality monitoring framework across core case management systems
• Establish data governance standards that are consistent with industry mandates and that advance holistic defense
• Manage secure storage and compliance with relevant data protection regulations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, Computer Science, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in data analysis or applied research in a nonprofit setting
• Strong proficiency in Python and/or R
• Experience with SQL and relational databases
• Expertise in statistical modeling and causal inference methods
• Experience working with large public datasets (
• Excellent data visualization skills (Tableau, Power BI, ggplot, or similar)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in nonprofit, advocacy, government, or mission-driven
• organizations
• Familiarity with NYC-specific data systems and policy landscape
• Knowledge of criminal justice, housing, labor, public health, education, or
• immigration policy
• Experience with GIS tools and spatial analysis
• Grant reporting or impact evaluation experience

Applicants must demonstrate

• Strong interest in developing proficiency with new tools, technologies and techniques
• Commitment to social justice work and issues affecting low-income individuals impacted by the criminal, family, immigration and civil legal systems
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with lawyers and non-lawyers
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to receive feedback constructively, reflect and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues
• Ability to engage effectively with people from various backgrounds and experiences

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 3 - 5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position is $95,000 to $125,000. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime, whereas exempt employees are not.

To apply, please upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent, and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family, and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we serve.

Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.