Data Engineer

Qualifications

Required Skills: BA/BS degree required. Two years of work experience in the areas of application/web/systems development with a related BA/BS degree, or four years of work experience in the areas of application/web/systems development with a non-related BA/BS degree.

This role requires technical experience and proficiency with:
Experience developing software for high performance and/or distributed computing

Experience with databases (relational or NoSQL)

Large dataset manipulation

Linux/UNIX operating systems, including command-line

This role also requires excellent ability to plan work and manage complex tasks/projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills for both technical and non-technical academic audiences.

Additional Skills:
Candidates with some of the following skills and/or experience are preferred:

Familiarity with agile development methods

Modern data science techniques and approaches

Developing user-friendly command-line tools

Machine learning

Apache Spark or the Hadoop ecosystem

Helpful language experience: Python, Scala, C/C++

Prior work experience in a research and/or higher education setting

About the Job

We are currently seeking a software developer to join our data linking team that is working on large scale data manipulation and creating highly performant distributed software systems. In this role, you will be developing software that links records representing the same individual and their family relationships across every US Census from 1850 – 1940. There are no consistent identifiers across historical censuses, so sophisticated matching algorithms will be required. You will be building on research and IT effort from the past decade to create a dataset that, once released, will enable critical new avenues of research for demographers and historians. This work will also lead to additional data linking opportunities for datasets from around the world and throughout history. You will be working in close collaboration with expert historians, demographers, and data scientists. We use Apache Spark (PySpark and SparkSQL) for a majority of our data processing, with C++ in critical areas. This is an excellent opportunity to grow your career with a cutting ­edge software shop at the University of Minnesota and contribute to work that has impact around the globe.

This position will have an annual starting salary of $78,000+, commensurate with experience.

About the Department

IPUMS ( https://www.ipums.org/ ) is a leader in the field of quantitative social science research and the largest disseminator of census and demographic data to the world’s academic research community. Or, to put it another way – we’re on a mission to gather, process, link and publish billions of records spanning hundreds of years and more than 100 countries to demographers, historians, economists, environmental scientists, journalists, policymakers, and others around the globe, who then use the data to do amazing research and make the world a better place.

The IPUMS IT group supports this mission by using leading open source tools to solve complex data and computation challenges and build reliable, scalable web-based data dissemination systems. Your work will be highly visible and will contribute directly to the overall success of our organization. Read more about IPUMS IT at http://tech.popdata.org/ . IPUMS is part of the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation (http://isrdi.umn.edu) and closely connected to work at the Minnesota Population Center.

IPUMS and its affiliated units support the work-life balance of our staff with 40 hour work weeks, flexible work hours, and generous vacation and sick leave benefits. The University also offers excellent health insurance, tuition assistance, and retirement benefits. IPUMS IT has a robust professional development fund for staff training and development.

Diversity and inclusion is a core value of our organization. We aspire to create an IT team that represents the diversity of our city, our region, and our world, and to create a space that encourages and embraces inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and respect. We strongly encourage women and members of under-represented groups to apply.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your “My Activities” page and uploading documents there.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647). Questions concerning the application process may be addressed to Mia Riza, HR Generalist, at mpc-jobs@umn.edu.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu.

Background Check Information

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.