Position Summary

Data Technologist Job Description

 

Reporting to: Director of Data Services

Posted: 02-24-2023

Questions may be sent to:

Stac Labs is a fully-remote, unionized, small and growing startup, seeking a talented, hardworking, and energetic person to join our team as a Data Technologist.  Stac works with state Democratic parties and other members to offer services supporting data, analytics, digital organizing and purchasing of tools and software that help state parties support candidates to win races up and down the ballot. We value diversity in perspective, background and life experiences and aim to grow as a company that represents the inclusive values that power Democratic politics. The Data Technologist will be responsible for building and maintaining stac’s relationships directly with a handful of state parties and ensure they are fully leveraging stac’s full suite of services. The Data Technologist also performs as-needed data work for all stac’s state party clients to support their unique programs, which in turn grows stac’s capacity for sharing resources at-scale between all 31 state parties we work with.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

Strong data analytics skills: Must have a strong knowledge of database technology, warehousing, and integration, with advanced training in data analytics and management. Proficiency using Microsoft Excel, CRMs and SQL databases is required; proficiency with Python or another coding language is preferred. You should also have experience with using technical solutions for moving data from one source to another or ETL processes.

Experience working in a technical capacity: Must have experience either managing a technical or data program, or working in an organization’s technical or data team with relevant project management systems. You have experience using Github, writing clean, commented code and documenting technical processes. 

Great communication skills: Must have the ability to synthesize and explain complex data reports in layperson’s terms, both verbally and in writing.  Must have a working knowledge of data visualization and reporting programs and know how to share insights in a clear, concise and actionable way. Must be able to communicate effectively with state party members to ensure alignment on timelines and deliverables. 

Strong self-organization skills: Must have a proven ability to to manage multiple projects simultaneously using well documented processes, such as using project management software, diligent meeting notes, or other forms of documentation that contribute to the longitudinal success of an organization and its work-product. 

Great collaboration skills:  Must have the ability to proactively seek solutions in coordination with the members and the stac team, who oversee multiple complex projects. This includes the ability to re-prioritize tasks based on team needs, offer timely input, and share feedback on work progress. It also includes the ability to contribute to and support the team’s culture and goals. The organization is fully remote, so you have the ability to adapt to the best practices and challenges of working with a team located across the country. You believe that we are strongest when we work together. You want to help create an environment where best practices are shared, team members are valued for their impact, and people are given the support they need to be successful.

A positive attitude and the ability to work well under pressure: Must be a “can do” person with experience working in busy/high-pressure situations. Campaigns are very busy during election season, and we will be supporting the state parties in their election work. You know how to manage a heavy workload and prioritize between competing needs while keeping things positive and moving things forward. You have the capacity and willingness to work long hours during peak season, rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done. 

Proactive, creative, problem solving: Must have good instincts when it comes to anticipating and foreseeing challenges before they arise. When confronted with new problems, you must be willing to get creative and think outside the box. You tackle challenges head-on, and you’re eager to dive in with others to identify the best path forward while understanding and being able to articulate trade-offs. The bottom line is you will find a solution that works.

Ability to travel: State work with party and campaign clients will involve travel, especially at critical times for campaign planning, debriefs, trainings and convenings. Estimated % of time spent traveling is dependent on the needs of member states. Overall, the expected amount of travel is no more than 20%. The team will all be remote, but you must have access to an airport from which you can travel.

Access to reliable, fast internet: Stac is a fully remote team and access to reliable and fast internet is a must in order to ensure that communications with members and the stac team is not an obstacle to performing the basic duties of the job. 

 

Nice to Have Skills/Qualifications:

We don’t expect every applicant to know or have worked with every technology we’ve listed, or have worked with everything we’ll be working on, so we urge you to apply if you’re interested and some of the below apply to you.

• Experience working with campaigns, state parties or the Democratic National Committee
• Experience with data warehouses, such as Google Big Query and specifically DNC’s Phoenix databases
• Experience utilizing data models
• Experience working with voter data and a strong working knowledge of VAN/Votebuilder in particular
• Experience working at start-ups or at brand new organizations 
• Experience working in a fully remote team
• Experience working as an account manager in a services organization
• Experience with cloud computing concepts such as Amazon Lambdas or Google Cloud Functions
• Experience with agile development and project management
• Experience with mapping software, such as GIS, QGIS or Mapbox
• Experience with data visualization tools, such as Data Studio, Periscope or Tableau
• Experience using and troubleshooting relational organizing campaign apps, such as Hustle, Reach, Mobilize etc.
• Experience using Github and version control
• Proficient understanding of the best practices around data security and managing sensitive voter data
• Experience writing clean, commented code or queries and documenting technical processes
• A desire to expand your technical and political skills, with support from organizational professional development

 

Job Responsibilities: 

• Manage the communication and workflow of assigned member states by helping them leverage analytics, reports and general data services provided by the larger stac team. This can include, but is not limited to: 
  • Work directly with state party Data Directors (or equivalent, in states where there is no Data Director) to troubleshoot data and technology solutions that support state party programs
  • Create reports and synthesize insights with party/campaign data to inform decision-making  
  • Research and build reusable, technical solutions for automation, reporting and data systems transfers 
  • Execute regular data hygiene, in and out of state party’s Votebuilder, including data security checks and audits
  • Create targeted voter contact universes 
  • Troubleshoot VAN, tools and technical issues
  • Help oversee voter file updates where needed and procure relevant data to make those updates happen (e.g., voter information, early vote data, polling locations, etc.)  
• Work with the stac team, state party members and the DNC Tech team to:
  • Develop training curriculum
  • Develop regular reporting, communication, and process improvements
• Work to elevate state party issues and concerns to the stac team in order to leverage varying tallents and skills across the team, pairing the right solution to the right problem
• Manage your workload using internal stac KPIs and project management processes, ensuring clients are getting the the full breadth of services they are paying for
• As stac labs grows, our Data Services organization structure is expected to change with some technologists focusing more on account management and others on the service work. Skills in both are desired, but staff may be asked to focus more on one than the other. 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

The salary range for this position is $85,000 – $110,000, depending on experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package. 

We are aiming to fill this position by spring 2023 and will be evaluating resumes on a rolling basis as we receive them. 

Please apply by submitting your resume (cover letter optional) to

The application process includes a brief screening call, a conversation with the Director of Data Services, a brief skills assessment and a panel interview with other team members. 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity of staff and leadership. We actively encourage people of color, people with disabilities, women, non-binary candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates, people of all ages, and people from traditionally marginalized communities to apply. We are tracking diversity in our applications and our hiring processes to ensure we are holding ourselves accountable to our values. The diversity questions in the application form are completely optional and cannot be used to determine specific hiring decisions.