Data Scientist - J-PAL Africa

Summary of the Organization: The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) consists of a global network of academics specializing in conducting rigorous evaluations of social policies to generate scientific evidence. This role provides an excellent opportunity to work at the intersection of research, policy, and data science to contribute to impactful policymaking.

Summary of the Role: J-PAL Africa in the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit School of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, is seeking a Data Scientist to support its Water, Air, and Energy (WAE) Lab, a collaboration with the City of Cape Town (CCT).

The WAE Lab works to co-generate research and inform the scaling of evidence-based programs and policies that effectively improve access to clean air, water, and reliable energy for all residents of Cape Town. The selected candidate will be seconded to the Data Science team at the CoCT and will play a key role in developing data infrastructure, facilitating data-driven policymaking, and supporting research projects.

Responsibilities:

Design, develop, and maintain data infrastructures, pipelines, platforms, and products.

Assist in conducting data analytics and synthesis for policy-relevant insights.

Create repeatable and reusable data products.

Implement data integration solutions and ensure continuous data availability.

Establish data modeling standards and maintain metadata repositories.

Support the automation and optimization of data flows within CCT.

Monitor and implement emerging trends in data engineering and analytics.

Introduce new data techniques and platforms within the CCT to enhance decision-making.

Troubleshoot and resolve data processing issues within infrastructure.

Identify and implement solutions for improving data quality and system performance.

Work with CCT officials, researchers, and technologists to co-develop scalable data solutions.

Support J-PAL Africa’s research team in accessing and utilizing administrative data.

Develop and maintain relationships with CCT departments, J-PAL Africa, academia, and other key stakeholders.

Ensure alignment of data infrastructure with policymaker needs and research objectives.

Qualifications

A relevant tertiary qualification (Honours or 4-year degree) in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Economics, Information Technology, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred.

At least two years of experience working with large and complex datasets, including data extraction from multiple systems.

Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, SQL, and R.

Strong experience with data modeling, data warehousing, and cloud computing.

Experience with data visualization tools and dashboarding (Tableau, Power BI, etc.).

Familiarity with data security and governance best practices.

Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work collaboratively with government, research, and technical stakeholders.

Experience working with public sector data systems.

Knowledge of machine learning techniques and their applications in public policy.

Familiarity with version control systems (Git) and DevOps practices.

Experience with survey programming or administrative data linking.

Ability and willingness to work from the Cape Town Civic Centre as project needs dictate.