Junior Data Scientist - REMOTE

About the organization

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data organization (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping institution. The ACLED team collects conflict information, conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios, and makes both data and analysis open for free use by the public. ACLED’s work is regularly used to inform journalism, academic research, and public discourse on conflict, and to support practitioners and policymakers. ACLED is the highest quality and most widely used real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.

The Role

ACLED is recruiting a Junior Data Scientist to assist with data science projects. The Junior Data Scientist will work closely with ACLED’s Data Scientist and Head of Data Science. This is a full-time position, fully remote position.

This position is open to nationals of any country. For more information, please review the Applicant FAQs. Please submit your salary range for consideration.

Specific roles and responsibilities

The Junior Data Scientist will be responsible for the following tasks: 

• Assisting the Data Scientist in the application of statistical, machine learning, and natural language processing methods to specific questions using ACLED data
• Update, monitor, and help improve ACLED’s existing machine learning models
• Adapt large language models for ACLED use cases, including question-answering, translation, and classification
• Build, deploy, and monitor web scrapers
• Engage in data preparation for analysis or bespoke projects
• Other ad hoc data science tasks

Skills and competencies

Required:

• • Advanced R and Python skills
  • 1+ years of experience manipulating large datasets 
  • Strong analytical background, including statistics and machine learning
  • Strong critical thinking skills
  • Experience working to deadlines with limited supervision
  • An extremely high level of attention to detail
  • Flexible team player, especially across a remote, global team. Willingness to work with a supervisor based in US time zones.
  • Fluency in English
  • Bachelor's degree is required, but a Master’s is preferred. Relevant work and/or research experience may substitute for a Master’s degree.

Preferred:

• • Familiarity with ACLED’s data and methodology 
  • Research focus or professional experience in conflict research or peacebuilding
  • Familiarity with version control via git and GitHub
  • Familiarity with cloud-based computing
  • Familiarity with additional programming languages beyond R and Python, such as Javascript or Julia
  • Familiarity with web scraping libraries and frameworks, such as Scrapy, BeautifulSoup, Playwright.js, or others
  • Experience with a remote work environment

Applications

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter detailing qualifications, experience, and salary requirements.

Further information on the organization is available online at acleddata.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Interested candidates are advised to apply early.