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Opportunities

Join DISSC: Explore dynamic roles and research assistant openings driving Yale’s data-intensive social science mission.

Research Data Solutions Architect

The Data Intensive Social Science Center (DISSC) at Yale provides Yale’s social scientists with a world class, user-centered, support organization to ensure that Yale social science research remains at the frontiers of each social science discipline.  DISSC, working with its partners throughout the Yale community, supports the entire research lifecycle including the acquisition, secure storage and management, analysis, and dissemination of existing and novel data resources transforming social science research.

The architect will serve as part of our research support unit while specializing in data engineering and data architecture tasks necessary to support the ingestion, management, curation and sharing of data used by teams across the university.  Yale seeks to build automated research data pipelines, along with centralized storage architectures (e.g. datalakes, lake houses etc.) to efficiently ingest data and to appropriately and securely share across campus. In this role, the architect will work closely with colleagues at Yale Library and at other groups to develop solutions both on-premises and in the cloud. The goal is to enhance the use of these licensed and procured data to provide cutting edge insights across Yale.

This is an incredible opportunity for an experienced data professional who is curious to learn and is motivated by the opportunity to build and support this organization. The architect  will be part of an integrated team sharing expertise and learning from one another to support cutting-edge research. The ideal candidate is a knowledgeable data enthusiast interested in exploring new interdisciplinary data resources and working to learn and implement new data architectures and systems including cloud and high-performance computing environments. This person also has experience developing or delivering research services in an academic setting, understands the social science research process, and has skills and experience in the use of various tools for information access, management, analysis, and presentation. They must enjoy working both independently and cooperatively with others in the DISSC research support unit, on multiple projects involving varieties of data sources, customers, and analytical tools.

Required Skills and Abilities

  1. Experience in designing and managing large-scale data pipelines and data storage solutions, with an understanding of best practices for handling sensitive research data.
  2. Experience in data modeling, ETL processes, and cloud data platforms, with exposure to issues in ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
  3. Understanding of research data workflows and academic/scientific research requirements. Knowledge of social science research methods and ability to translate research needs into technical requirements.
  4. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments simultaneously. Excellent documentation skills and ability to create technical specifications
  5. Strong interpersonal skills, communication skills, and the ability to interact well with faculty, staff, and research partners internally and externally.

To Apply

To find out more about this role, and to apply click here

DISSC 2025-2026 RA Opportunities

The Data Intensive Social Science Center (DISSC) seeks motivated and skilled Yale undergraduate or graduate students to serve as Research Assistants (RA’s) supporting faculty across various social science departments on projects throughout the semester. These projects span multiple disciplines and methodologies, providing valuable hands-on research experience while contributing to important academic work.

Responsibilities

Research Assistants will be matched with faculty projects based on their skills and interests. Examples of projects may include, but are not limited to:  

  • Survey Development and Programming
  • Design and implement surveys using Qualtrics and other survey platforms.
  • Data Analysis and Coding
  • Conduct statistical analyses using software such as R, Python, SPSS, or similar tools.
  • Geocoding and Spatial Analysis
  • Convert addresses to geographic coordinates and conduct location-based analyses.
  • Reproducible Research
  • Assist with preparing replication files and verifying reproducibility.

Required Qualifications

Currently enrolled undergraduate (junior/senior level preferred) or graduate student with a demonstrated ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.  

Preferred Technical Skills

Applicants with experience in any of the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply:  

  • Survey design and online survey platforms (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, REDCap)
  • Statistical software (R, Python, SPSS, Stata, SAS)
  • Programming languages (Python, R, JavaScript, HTML/CSS)
  • Qualitative analysis software (NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose)
  • Version control systems (Git/GitHub)
  • Data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, ggplot2)  

Application Requirements

Interested candidates must submit a current CV highlighting their academic background, relevant coursework, any research experience, and technical skills. Please also include the name of a faculty member who would serve as a reference for you.

Qualified candidates will then be added to our DISSC-RA listserv. DISSC will reach out to the group as project assistance requests are received.

CVs should be emailed to: molly.aunger@yale.edu

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