Research Data Analyst II

University of Utah

The Prison

Education

• Action Research Lab ( PEARL ) at the College of Education at the University of Utah is the nation’s first center dedicated to advancing research, data, and leadership in postsecondary education in prison. PEARL leverages evidence-based research to change systems and reduce barriers to postsecondary education for people directly impacted by the criminal legal system. PEARL’s anchor project, the Prison

Education

• Research Initiative ( PERI ), is a first-of-its-kind multi-institutional longitudinal study spanning 22+ partner colleges and universities nationwide.

Mission

PEARL does research that advances educational justice for people and communities impacted by incarceration.

Position Summary

The Research Data Analyst II supports the secure acquisition, organization, cleaning, documentation, preparation, and analysis of complex multi-site administrative, survey, and research data for PEARL’s national research portfolio. Working in close support of the project’s lead Research Data Analyst (Research Data Analyst III ) and the Senior Research Associate, Quantitative, this position contributes to PEARL’s national dataset, gains hands-on experience with the Prison

Education

• Research Initiative ( PERI ), and supports the lab’s qualitative research.

• This position is ideal for a quantitative data professional who thrives in a collaborative academic research environment, enjoys transforming raw data into accurate, well-documented, analysis-ready files, and is eager to grow their skills in data management, reproducible analysis, and mixed-methods research.

• Working closely with research staff and Principal Investigators, the Research Data Analyst II will help maintain secure, well-documented data workflows spanning administrative corrections, education, employment, and survey data from multiple institutions, agencies, and time periods, while ensuring compliance with data security, IRB , and data-use agreement requirements.

• The Research Data Analyst II will work under the supervision of project PIs Dr. Erin L. Castro and Dr. Jason Taylor at the University of Utah. We strongly encourage applications from individuals directly impacted by incarceration and punishment systems.

• Effort Allocation

Effort is approximate and may shift with project needs:

• National dataset (approximately 45%): lead and support the acquisition, cleaning, validation, documentation, and preparation of PEARL’s national administrative and survey data.

• PERI (approximately 45%): contribute to the Prison

Education

• Research Initiative, working alongside and learning from the senior Research Data Analyst and the quantitative research team.

• Qualitative research (approximately 10%): support qualitative research activities, including assisting with interviews and contributing to qualitative data analysis.

• Why This Role Matters

• This position will help build one of the most important national datasets on prison higher education and student outcomes. The successful candidate will grow as a research data professional while contributing to credible evidence that informs policy, expands opportunity, and improves lives.

• Compensation and Terms

• This is a grant-funded position within PEARL . The position is full-time and benefitted. Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Travel, evenings, and weekends may occasionally be required. The Research Data Analyst II may work remotely or on-site at the University of Utah with some travel required.

• Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

Responsibilities

• Research Data Analyst II

• Perform routine statistical analyses on research datasets and begin to provide insights for research studies. Use software such as Excel or Tableau to manipulate data, create visualizations, and generate summaries. Assist with writing sections of research reports and manuscripts, contributing to the interpretation of results. Work independently on smaller analysis tasks and support more complex projects under supervision.

• Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master’s (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience.

• This is a Developing-Level position in the General Professional track.

• Department Specific

• Responsibilities:

• Perform routine statistical analyses on research datasets and begin to provide insights for research studies. Use software such as Stata, Excel, R, or Python to manipulate data, create visualizations, and generate summaries. Assist with writing sections of research reports and manuscripts, contributing to the interpretation of results. Work independently on smaller analysis tasks and support more complex projects under supervision.

• National Dataset (approximately 45%)

• Support the secure receipt, cleaning, validation, standardization, recoding, and documentation of incoming administrative and survey datasets from multiple institutions and external organizations.

• Maintain organized folder structures, file naming conventions, and version control practices.

• Create and help maintain data dictionaries, codebooks, variable crosswalks, and workflow documentation.

• Produce reproducible, report-ready tables, figures, and descriptive summaries.

• PERI and Quantitative Team (approximately 45%)

• Contribute to PERI data tasks under the direction of the senior Research Data Analyst and the Senior Research Associate, Quantitative.

• Assist with data pipeline, integration, and relational database tasks, building skills in reproducible workflows.

• Minimum Qualifications

• EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT : 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor’s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels:

• Research Data Analyst II: Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master’s (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience.

• Preferences

• Bachelor’s degree in data science, statistics, economics, mathematics, education, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Two years of professional experience in research data management, statistical programming, or quantitative analysis.

• Demonstrated commitment to and knowledge about educational equity and justice.

• Proficiency in at least one statistical or data programming environment (e.g., Stata, R, or Python) for data cleaning, validation, transformation, and analysis, with the ability to learn new tools as needed.

• Exposure to SQL , relational databases, or secure data environments, or an interest in developing these skills.

• Experience managing raw or inconsistently structured datasets from multiple institutions, agencies, or external organizations.

• Strong understanding of data confidentiality, secure data handling, and quality assurance practices.

• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience supporting social science, education, criminal justice, public policy, or longitudinal research.

• Interest in mixed-methods research, including qualitative data collection and analysis.

• Knowledge of postsecondary education research and data infrastructure.

• Type

• Benefited Staff

• Special Instructions Summary

Required Application Materials:

• Cover Letter that describes interest in and qualifications for the position. Candidates should include their experience developing and managing databases, data infrastructure, and/or producing quantitative analyses

• Additional Information

• The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources for information. Individuals who previou