Data Specialist

ABOUT US The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to prevent and correct the wrongful conviction of innocent people in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. MAIP has one of the highest success rates in the country for exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted, helping to secure the release or exoneration of 44 men who spent more than 800 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. MAIP has also helped pass 19 laws that would prevent or make it easier to correct wrongful convictions. ABOUT THE POSITION The part-time MAIP Data Specialist will be part of a legal team that has an extraordinary record of success. The grant-funded Data Specialist will report to the Screening Manger and will perform a wide variety of tasks to assist in the acquisition, input, and analysis of case data. Specifically, the Data Specialist will assist the Screening Manager with development, refinement, and execution of best practices for the acquisition and analysis of case data. First, they will lead the effort to overhaul our internal systems to better manage and track our caseloads and workflow. Next, they will develop and implement organization-wide practices on how to track and extract data from both new and archived cases. Finally, they will work with the Executive Director, Legal Director, and Screening Manager to determine what data to track, how best to extract that data from our archives, and how best to analyze that data to learn valuable insights and information about our cases. Additionally, they will be responsible for the development and maintenance of the computer systems necessary to achieve these goals, as well as data entry. ABOUT YOU

• You are focused, detail-oriented, obsessive about accuracy, and knowledgeable about using technology to manage workflow.
• You enjoy thinking about systems and identifying ways to improve efficiency, particularly through the use of automation to accomplish repetitive tasks.
• You take initiative, are comfortable asking questions, and enjoy identifying technology solutions to solve problems.
• You enjoy creating data collection systems, cleaning and organizing data, and performing data analysis.
• You are a motivated team player with superb organizational and communication skills.
• You are committed to delivering the highest quality of customer service and work product.
• You are passionate about criminal-justice reform and love working with diverse groups of people from disparate backgrounds.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Working proficiency using Trello, Zapier and other technology tools for managing workflow; WordPress to create, maintain, and improve user experience and extract data for reporting purposes; common databases such as MySQL; data-analysis software such as NVivo; basic database languages/tools/syntax (regex); and Python/R.
• Ability to think on a systems level to identify areas for improved efficiency and to identify the appropriate tools to implement changes.
• Familiarity with research design sufficient to propose a research question, identify the appropriate data to answer the research question and propose and implement an appropriate analytical strategy for answering the research question.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a sometimes intense and highly charged setting.
• A positive attitude, a love of system analysis and problem solving, and sound judgment.
• Enthusiasm for social justice and for MAIP’s work, including a demonstrated commitment to public-interest law and criminal-justice reform.
• Ability to develop creative solutions to surmount apparent roadblocks.
• Openness to feedback and enthusiasm for learning new skills.
• Consummate workplace professionalism.