Manager of Data Science

Position: Manager of Data Science

Department: Learning, Innovation and Data Systems 

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Learning, Innovation and Data Systems Director

Direct Reports: Data or Research Assistants

Date Issued: Dec15, 2021

Date Revised: N/A

Location: Washington, DC (remote until Polaris resumes in-person business operations)

The Mission

Polaris is leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking at the massive scale of the problem – 25 million people worldwide deprived of the freedom to choose how they live and work.

For more than a decade, Polaris has assisted thousands of victims and survivors through the U.S. National  Human Trafficking Hotline, helped ensure countless traffickers were held accountable and built the largest  known U.S. data set on actual trafficking experiences. With the guidance of survivors, we use that data to improve the way trafficking is identified, how victims and survivors are assisted, and how communities, businesses, and governments can prevent human trafficking by transforming the underlying inequities and oppression that make it possible.

About Opportunity

The Manager of Data Science contributes to Polaris’s efforts to collect and share data about human trafficking. The Manager of Data Science serves as a subject matter expert on Polaris’s direct data collection efforts and will work closely with internal and external partners to ensure that this information is responsibly and safely used to inform anti-trafficking strategies. This individual may manage part-time and full-time staff who are data professionals focused on data quality and sharing. This individual must excel in a fast-paced and evolving environment, be a proficient writer able to distil complex and technical information for diverse audiences, and experienced at project management. The Manager of Data Science must have excellent attention to detail, have a proven aptitude at using databases and other data related technologies, have exceptional communication skills, and be able to appropriately handle highly sensitive, confidential information.

The Manager of Data Science is responsible for the application of a wide set of statistical, programming  and/or engineering disciplines for planning, design, analysis, and specification development for systems and  databases to support Polaris’s efforts to collect and share data about human trafficking. The candidate will work with project managers, consultants, programmers, data scientists, analysts, and customers to determine data requirements and see those requirements through to completion. The candidate must have expertise in the manipulation of unstructured data in a data analytics environment, and the use of open-source tools, cloud computing, machine learning and data visualization. Must have ability to use/code in a language applicable to the project including; Python, and advanced knowledge of machine learning.

Responsibilities

Data Collection and Processing Systems

• Leverage best practices in data science and data engineering to improve efficiency and quality of data collection and processing workflows;
• Partner with  other data professionals and the Technology team to manage and grow a scalable data architecture and  infrastructure for data collection, and analysis;
• Collaborate with data systems manager to monitor data processing team efficiency and  efficacy and design and implement solutions to iterate on or improve processes;
• Serve as a subject matter expert on Polaris’s data and its structure/ontology internally and  externally;

Data Analysis and Reporting Systems

• In collaboration with social science researchers on the LIDS team, use statistical and  predictive modeling approaches, computational text analytics, and machine learning to analyze  a variety of big data including those from the National Human Trafficking Hotline
• Collaborate closely with the Technology team to design, and optimize platforms for analyzing  data as well as for safely and responsibly sharing aggregate and dis-aggregate data with internal  Polaris teams as well as with the anti-trafficking field
• Work with key program staff to create visually attractive and stimulating dashboards, reports, and presentations.

Data Justice/Data Privacy

• Develop and manage standards for information sharing and data storage (including data labeling  conventions, retention efforts, data access provisioning, etc.)
• Provide consultation and support in thinking about data use, storage, interpretation, etc. from the  perspective of victim centeredness and promoting justice.

External Data Relationships Management

• Advise entities seeking Polaris data on interpreting and using the data in line with Polaris’s  values and mission;
• Contribute to the development of externally facing documentation and communications regarding  Polaris’s data processes and standards and manage documentation resources
• Consult with various stakeholders in the field on human trafficking data collection, structure,  standards, and sharing;

Project Management and Leadership

• Participate in the development and implementation of LIDS vision and strategy
• Apply best practices in project management to all LIDS projects
• Drive a data science culture that inspires and motivates the team to succeed
• Provides consultation, and capacity development to Polaris teams for data collection projects as well  as interpretation and use of data collected by Polaris and;
•  Commitment to the National Human Trafficking Hotline mission and Polaris values; 
•  Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

This job description provides a summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by individuals in this position.  Incumbents may be asked to perform other tasks not specifically written in this job.

Required Qualifications

• Deep passion! Mad skills! Low ego!
• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative or analytical field such as Data Science, Statistics, Computer  Science, Mathematics, Economics, Engineering, Physics, or Computational Social Science
• Minimum four (4) years of relevant work experience in data science field, including experience  performing research in Data Analytics with demonstrated ability to synthesize large volumes of  material;
• Experience working with tools such as R, Python, SPSS or SAS.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills with a strong focus on being able to  explain complex technical information to a non-technical audience;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience working with multiple organizational stakeholders,  including peers, and directors
• Demonstrated ability to act as a liaison  between technical and non-technical audiences; 
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle competing priorities; 
• Emotional maturity and demonstrated discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information  and;
• A natural self-starter with the ability to meet tight deadlines and deliver results quickly. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of human trafficking data collection methodology, standards, and 
• sharing considerations;
• Experience working with relational databases; 
• Knowledge of data ethics, confidentiality, and privacy matters related to collection, analysis, and  sharing of data pertaining to vulnerable populations’
• Experience working with a hybrid team of analyst, engineers, and developers to conduct  research, and build and deploy complex, but easy-to-use analytical platforms
• Direct-supervision experience
• Salesforce administration and reporting
• Familiarity with statistical de-identification techniques for sensitive datasets 
• Experience or knowledge creating data visualizations for external audiences

Communication (“External” Changes based upon position)

• Internal: Ability to communicate with supervisors, peers and direct reports;
• External: Ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical audiences. 

Working Conditions

• Typical office setting

Physical Requirements (can change with position)

• Prolonged sitting, chiefly at a computer terminal;
• Occasional bending, stooping and stretching;
• Requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a computer, telephone,  calculator, and other office equipment;
• Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare, and communicate in writing, in  person and by phone;

Organization Background 

VALUES: Polaris is grounded in a set of values and organizational beliefs and strives to model and embody  these values in all that it does. 

We work with humility and a spirit of service. We serve a mission that is bigger than ourselves, and we  recognize that we cannot do this work alone. We foster a caring community of mutual support, and we actively  pursue collaborations and partnerships to expand our reach. 

Victims’ and survivors’ experiences ground our efforts. We honor the dignity, agency, and resilience of  victims and survivors of slavery, both past and present. We serve, work alongside, and stand in solidarity with  those who have been most affected by modern slavery. 

We strive for inclusion and equity. We engage different perspectives to inform our decisions, actions, and  positions. We create opportunities that empower individuals of diverse backgrounds and circumstances. We  acknowledge the structural inequities that lead to human trafficking and modern slavery, which drives us to  create just and equitable solutions. 

We approach our work with courage. We promote a culture of inquiry, innovation, risk-taking, and  continuous learning. We are resilient and evolve when faced with obstacles or failure. We recognize that what  is typical or traditional is not always optimal. 

We create positive impact and achieve results. We leverage and cultivate the strengths of our staff, and we  work with discipline, integrity, and a commitment to excellence. We embrace a measurement culture to track  our progress. We view impact holistically, considering multiple sectors and the effects on individuals’ lives, as  we pursue systemic and social change to eradicate modern slavery

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Polaris designs and implements data-driven strategies to prevent and disrupt human trafficking, and restore  freedom to survivors. Achieving this ambitious goal requires both trafficking-specific systemic interventions  and broader cultural and structural shifts that reduce the inequities that lead to human trafficking. While  Polaris alone cannot build a more diverse, just, equitable, and inclusive society, both the success of our work  and our organizational values require modeling in the workplace the change we want to see in the world. This means cultivating a workforce, organizational culture, and priorities that respect and celebrate a dynamic,  multi-disciplinary team made up of individuals with different identities, lived experiences, and backgrounds.  Within both our team and across every part of our work, we strive to integrate and elevate the full range of  survivor voices.

This is a living commitment. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are values to be manifested daily, in the work we  do, the decisions we make, and the way that we treat each other and the people we seek to serve. This means  creating space where staff can be included, heard, valued, and set up for success, and where everyone feels  empowered to bring their full, best selves to work. We will not check boxes and consider it done. We will  push new innovations and different ways of thinking, and treasure the community built and strengthened by  each of our contributions.