Dr. Vince Hopkins, Assistant Professor in UBC’s Department of Political Science, is recruiting a part-time Graduate Academic Assistant. The position is remote-friendly.
Job Title: Graduate Academic Assistant (Policy and Data Analyst)
Project: How do secondary school experiences, pathways, and outcomes influence engagement with WorkBC Skill Development programs?
Location: Vancouver-Remote
Hours: 15 hours per week
Duration: The initial term of appointment is for four weeks, with some possibility of extension for up to six months.
Starting Date: September 16, 2024
Compensation: Hourly rate ranges from $25-$35/hour depending on experience
Project Description:
The Behavioural Public Policy Lab is an interdisciplinary research unit housed in the Department of Political Science at UBC. We use behavioural science to help Canadians access public services. We focus on positive impact, working closely with policy makers to find out what works (and what doesn’t).
The Graduate Academic Assistant will support an ongoing research project undertaken in partnership with the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR). The project uses a new linkage between K-12 education data and active labour market participation data, through the BC Data Innovation Project, to examine the factors influencing participation in WorkBC’s skill development programs, with a particular focus on the role of secondary school outcomes, such as achievement in STEM courses.
The Graduate Academic Assistant will assist Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Kelly Foley (Economics, University of Saskatchewan) in preparing the data for analysis and undertaking the preliminary analysis. The position will also involve maintaining project files and documents, attending Lab meetings, and other related duties as required.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Assist in preparing raw administrative data for analysis
- Prepare data validation and reliability reports
- Assist in data analysis and interpretation using statistical software
- Organize and maintain project files and documents
- Attend Lab meetings and provide updates on research progress
- Perform other related duties as required
An extended contract would include the following duties:
- Liaise with provincial and federal government officials to support linkage of several large-scale administrative datasets
- Conduct literature reviews and data collection
- Prepare research proposals, reports, presentations, and academic papers
Qualifications:
- Enrollment in a graduate program, preferably in Economics or Political Science
- Strong research and analytical skills
- Experience with statistical software (preferably R, Stata, or Python)
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Previous experience in or knowledge of the following areas would be an asset,
- Working with confidential or administrative microdata
- Knowledge of BC Works or other active labour market programs in Canada
- Experience with machine learning techniques, such as k-means clustering
Application Process:
Interested candidates should send their transcript, CV/resume, and a 3-5 sentence summary of their interest and abilities to vince.hopkins@ubc.ca. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.
