Research Data Analyst

Edtech.com's Summary

University of South Carolina is hiring a Research Data Analyst to manage and prepare data assets essential to the SC TEACHER longitudinal educator records and reporting system. The role involves data cleaning, ingestion, validation, and supporting the creation of workforce analytics and district dashboards in collaboration with the Research Lead for Data Infrastructure and Analytics.

Highlights

Clean, validate, and transform data using R and/or Python while maintaining logs and quality standards.
Manage data tables, views, and queries in Amazon Athena to support analysis and reporting.
Support annual data ingestion from SC Department of Education and other providers using documented procedures.
Develop data visualizations and dashboards with Amazon QuickSight for varied audiences.
Perform systematic validation against lookup tables, prior-year files, and documentation to ensure data accuracy.
Collaborate on analytic preparation for reports, legislative deliverables, and district products with the research team.
Proficient in SQL and experienced with AWS cloud services including S3, Athena, Glue, EC2, and QuickSight.
Requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least 2 years of relevant experience or equivalent training.
Preferred qualifications include experience with AWS environments, education data, dashboard building, and a master’s degree.
Maintain knowledge of ETL processes, data governance practices, and communicate findings clearly both orally and in writing.

Research Data Analyst Full Description

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Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Positions are advertised for a minimum of thirty (30) business days on our job website. After thirty (30) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

We are only accepting applications submitted by August 21, 2026.

Posting Details

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Posting Summary

Logo
Posting Number	RTF00160PO26
USC Market Title	Data Analyst
Link to USC Market Title	https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/207795
Business Title (Internal Title)	Research Data Analyst
Campus	Columbia
Work County	Richland
College/Division	College of Education
Department	CED College of Education
Anticipated Hiring Range	Salary commensurate with qualifications
Location of Vacancy	This is a hybrid position
Part/Full Time	Full Time
Hours per Week	37.5
Work Schedule	Standard Working Schedule: 8:00am – 5:00pm Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department Occasional Nights and weekends
Type of Staff Position	Staff Time-Limited (STL)
Basis	12 months
Job Search Category	Other Professional

About USC

About University of South Carolina	From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

About University of South Carolina

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Benefits for Research Grant or Time-Limited Positions Are Indicated Below

The University of South Carolina (UofSC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about UofSC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.

South Carolina Retirement	Yes
State Insurance Programs	Yes
Annual Leave	Yes
Sick Leave	Yes

Position Description

Advertised Job Summary	The Research Data Analyst will support the annual data cleaning, ingestion, and management workflows that underpin SC TEACHER’s longitudinal educator records and reporting infrastructure. Working closely with the Research Lead for Data Infrastructure and Analytics, this position plays a central role in preparing, structuring, and maintaining data assets that support workforce analytics, district-facing dashboards, and applied research.
Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience	Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 2 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.
Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials
Preferred Qualifications	Experience working in AWS environments (S3, Athena, Glue, QuickSight, EC2) Familiarity with education data or other administrative/government datasets Experience building data visualizations or dashboards for non-technical audiences Master’s degree in a relevant field
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities	Proficiency in SQL for writing, optimizing, and maintaining queries in cloud-based environments, particularly Amazon Athena. Working knowledge of R and/or Python for data cleaning, transformation, validation, and documentation of analytic workflows. Familiarity with AWS cloud services including S3, Athena, Glue, EC2, and QuickSight. Ability to work with large, complex, restricted administrative datasets, including longitudinal educator workforce records and district-level data. Knowledge of ETL (extract, transform, load) processes and best practices for data pipeline management. Skill in building and maintaining data tables, views, and derived variables in support of applied research and reporting. Ability to conduct systematic data validation, including checks against prior-year files, lookup tables, and external documentation. Experience developing data visualizations or dashboards for varied audiences, including non-technical stakeholders. Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate, version-controlled scripts and data preparation logs. Knowledge of data governance practices, including metadata documentation, data classification, and confidentiality protocols. Ability to communicate technical findings and data processes clearly, both orally and in writing. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team environment, managing multiple concurrent tasks and meeting project deadlines

Job Duties

Job Duty	Clean, validate, and transform raw data files using R and/or Python, maintaining data preparation logs and adhering to SC TEACHER’s data quality standards. Build and maintain data tables, views, and queries in Amazon Athena to support analysis and reporting workflows.
Essential Function	Yes
Percentage of Time	40

Job Duty	Support annual ingestion of data files received from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and other data providers, following documented intake and validation procedures. Support the development of data visualizations and contribute to dashboard reporting using Amazon QuickSight.
Essential Function	Yes
Percentage of Time	30

Job Duty	Conduct data validation checks against lookup tables, SCDE documentation, district-submitted records, and prior-year files to identify inconsistencies, duplicate records, and missing fields. Assist in developing and updating derived variables, recode logic, and suppression rules in accordance with the data dictionary and data governance policy.
Essential Function	Yes
Percentage of Time	20

Job Duty	Collaborate with research team members on analytic data preparation for annual reports, legislative deliverables, and district products.
Essential Function	Yes
Percentage of Time	10

Position Attributes

Hazardous weather category	Non-Essential
Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.	No

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies	1
Desired Start Date	08/03/2026
Position End Date
Job Open Date	07/07/2026
Job Close Date	08/21/2026
Open Until Filled	No
Special Instructions to Applicant	Positions are advertised for a minimum of thirty (30) business days on our job website. After thirty (30) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email. We are only accepting applications submitted by August 21, 2026.
Quicklink for Posting	https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/208948
EEO Statement	The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Do you have at least a bachelor's degree in a job related field and 2 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience?
- Yes
- No

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

Cover Letter
Resume
List of References and Contact Information

Optional Documents

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Original Job Description