We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

SCL has embarked on a transformative journey over the past three years in response to the prevailing challenges stemming from fragmented data management practices and limited data sharing within the organization. Central to this endeavor has been the establishment of a centralized data repository, coupled with the formulation of rigorous protocols, quality standards, data cleanliness procedures, and metadata management frameworks. This concerted effort has created a governance structure to harmonize the utilization of data sources across the social sector. At the heart of this transformation lies a powerful tool that serves as the primary conduit for aggregating internally generated data, data acquired through collaborative agreements, and exploring internal and external datasets critical for informed analysis and decision-making.

To propel this ongoing evolution, the Social Sector is seeking an exceptional individual who is not only dynamic and self-motivated but also possesses an acute attention to detail. We are in search of a Data Scientist who will play a pivotal role in advancing the development and optimization of the SCL Data Ecosystem.

The Social Sector (SCL) is a multidisciplinary team convinced that investing in people is the way to improve lives and overcome the development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Jointly with the countries in the region, The Social Sector formulates public policy solutions to reduce poverty and improve the delivery of education, work, social protection, and health services.  The objective is to advance a more productive region, with equal opportunities for men and women and greater inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.

This consultancy aims to enhance SCL's technical and research capabilities by leveraging existing empirical data, acquiring new data as needed, and actively participating in various research initiatives focused on addressing social issues. The consultant will provide valuable technical support by conducting in-depth analyses of existing and newly collected empirical data. Additionally, they will play a pivotal role in generating high-quality analytical reports, encompassing quantitative and qualitative analyses, to drive evidence-based decision-making within the organization. Strong project management skills and collaborative engagement with all divisions within the Social Sector are crucial, aiming to cultivate an environment of integration, innovation, and heightened efficiency in our data-driven initiatives.

What you’ll do

• Conduct Comprehensive Literature Reviews: Thoroughly review conceptual and empirical literature about project-related topics, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the research landscape.
• Data Identification and Retrieval: Collaborate in identifying and retrieving essential data required for analysis, maintaining a meticulous record of data sources.
• Harmonization of Household Surveys: Lead the harmonization of household surveys within the region, following a transparent, documented, and traceable methodology, ensuring data consistency and reliability.
• ETL Process Management: Oversee and manage the Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes within the data pipeline. This involves harmonizing and transforming household survey data using Stata, ensuring reproducibility and documentation standards are met.
• Social Indicator Calculation: Coordinate the computation of social indicators for Latin America, utilizing a combination of R, Stata, and Amazon SageMaker tools, with a specific focus on the social sector.
• Database Maintenance and Liaison: Assist in maintaining the social data platform architecture, including Python and SQL database updates to connect with Amazon RDS Databases. Serve as a liaison between the social data team and ITE (Information Technology and Engineering) department.
• Quality Control and Production: Actively participate in the quality control processes and production of social indicators derived from the harmonized database, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Data Analysis: Conduct statistical and econometric analyses on collected datasets to derive meaningful insights and support decision-making processes.
• Report and Presentation Contributions: Contribute to the creation of presentations and reports, adhering to the publication protocol of the IDB, ensuring that the findings are effectively communicated.
• Tool Development and Governance Documentation: Develop necessary tools for the SCL Data Lake and create comprehensive documents outlining protocols and governance procedures for effectively handling internal and external data.
• Support and Engagement: Provide support and actively engage in other activities related to the data and digital social cluster as agreed upon during the consultancy, under the coordination of the SCL supervisor. This includes supporting the development and maintenance of tools for the digital cluster.
• Visualization: Develop visual representations of key findings using Power BI or Tableau to facilitate data-driven decision-making.
• Automation and Optimization: Explore opportunities to automate data processes and improve efficiency using machine learning or scripting solutions

What you'll need

•    Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in statistics, social sciences, economics, or a related field. Master preferred.

•    Experience: At least two years of relevant professional experience working in social areas with strong quantitative background in applied economics research.

•    Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required.

Key skills

Requirements

•    Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.

•    Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

•    Consultant:  
    -    International consultant: International consultant Full-Time, 12 months

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include:

· A competitive compensation packages.

· Leaves and vacations: 2 days per month of contract + gender- neutral parental leave.

· Health Insurance: the IDB Group provides a monthly allowance for the purchase of health insurance.

· Savings plan: The IDB Group cares about your future, depending on the length of the contract, you will receive a monthly savings plan allowance.

· We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.

· Hybrid and flexible work schedules.

· Development support: We offer learning opportunities to boost your professional profile such as seminars, 1:1 professional counseling, and much more.

· Health and wellbeing: Access to our Health Services Center which provides preventive care and health education for all employees.

· Other perks: Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, and others.

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.