Job Title: Senior Data Scientist

Department: Innovation and Data

Reports To: Vice President, Innovation and Data

Salary: $102,500 to $129,100

Job Type: Permanent Full-Time

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hybrid Position 2-3 days in-office

Job Posting Closing Date: January 20th, 11:59PM

Our Story:

Young people consistently tell us that they aren’t taken seriously when it comes to their mental health. They’re told to “toughen up.” Half of our service users say that if they hadn’t reached KHP’s services, they would have ignored the issue or hoped it went away. We are seeing an emerging trend where young people are seeking help outside of clinical services, like asking ChatGPT “what should I do?”. Mental health data is siloed, old, or from an institutional setting like a hospital or a school and so applied research relies on data that doesn’t represent young people in their everyday lives. These are the major factors that have contributed to the growing mental health crisis in Canada and these are the things that we are focused on solving.

A 13-year-old who is having panic attacks because they are being bullied at school shouldn’t have to know how to describe their new feelings or exactly where to go for help. We have developed an ML model that can translate youth language into a clinical context so young people can describe their feelings in their own words and get personalized recommendations to the right service for their needs, identity, no experience necessary. Our dream is to build personalized recommendations to clinical services into platforms where young people already spend their time – social media, gaming, school, etc. Imagine that same 13-year-old coping by scrolling or watching videos on their go-to platform and our personalized recommendations meet them where they are to unlock the hope they need to thrive in their world.

On the other side of that interaction is our frontline staff – the heroes who answer the phone or the text in the middle of the night when young people have no where else to go. The irony is that the people on the frontlines are last in line for new technology. They are forced to use technology that was designed for sales or customer service agents. We have invested in purpose-built technology that meets the unique needs of a helpline so that administrative tasks are automated and counsellors can stay focused on their clinical expertise in high risk conversations.

Our dataset is one of a kind. It represents young people in their everyday lives, reaching out to our services from the bus seat, the bathroom stall, or under the covers in their bedroom. Our Data Hub holds more than 21M interactions since the start of 2020, more than 45M messages from service interactions, 40K+ resources and referrals across Canada, and more than 1M de-identified transcripts that are labeled by both frontline staff and service users. This data is stored in a modern data lake house to support the development of AI/ML models, dashboards, and insights reports. We have set up the dream state for applied research.

Transformational innovation within the charity sector is rare. It requires a unique combination of factors – support from the CEO and the Board of Directors, dedicated funding, a scalable data infrastructure, a wide range of services, trust with your users, and momentum. KHP is the only youth mental health organization in the world that isn’t missing any of these key factors.

The status quo is not working for young people or for frontline staff. The Mental Health sector needs disruption. It has to be us. It has to be KHP.

Position Overview

The Senior Data Scientist will play a pivotal role in leveraging data to enhance the organization's ability to deliver critical mental health support services. This role focuses on developing advanced analytics models, implementing machine learning algorithms, and transforming data into actionable insights. The ideal candidate combines technical expertise with a passion for social impact, working closely with cross-functional teams to optimize Kids Help Phone's programs and initiatives.

Data Analysis and Modeling: Conduct advanced data analysis, build predictive models, and develop machine learning algorithms to solve complex business problems and optimize product performance.

Collaboration with Product Team: Partner closely with the Head of Innovation Operations and Head of Product to identify key areas where data can inform product and service strategy, improve user experience, and drive growth.

Data Science Strategy: Develop and communicate a clear vision to implement the data science function that aligns with the company's overall strategy focused on improving outcomes for frontline staff and service users.

Business Intelligence Evolution Develop systems that evolve internal data operations from reporting, to analysis, to monitoring, to prediction by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the performance of products and features. Provide regular updates to the product and leadership teams.

Data Pipeline Development: Work with data engineers to design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines that support the needs of the product and analytics teams.

Experimentation and Testing: Design and execute A/B tests and other experiments to evaluate the impact of product changes and new features. Analyze results and provide actionable recommendations.

Data Storytelling: Translate complex data insights into clear, concise, and compelling narratives that inform business decisions. Communicate findings to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

Mentorship: Provide guidance and mentorship to junior data scientists and analysts. Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the data team.

Tool and Technology Evaluation: Stay current with the latest data science tools, technologies, and best practices. Evaluate and recommend new tools and technologies that can enhance the data team's capabilities.

Qualifications:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in data science. Experience on user-focused product analytics is preferred.
• Strong expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, and data modeling techniques.
• Experience working with large text datasets using Natural Language Processing techniques.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or SQL, and experience working within Sisense, Power BI, and other related data visualization platforms.
• Experience working with large structured and unstructured datasets and data processing frameworks such as DataBricks, Hadoop, or Spark.
• Familiarity with Azure, AWS, and GCP.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present complex data insights to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with A/B testing and experimentation frameworks.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

Our Commitment to You:

We want to help our employees build a secure future for themselves and their loved ones. As an employee, you have access to a defined benefit pension through the CAAT Pension Plan that provides you with a predictable lifetime retirement income, survivor benefits, early retirement options without the stress of managing it yourself and making investment decisions.

Additional Benefits:

• Accidental Death Insurance
• Hybrid Work Model
• Life Insurance
• Wellness Programs
• Pension Plan
• Flex Time
• Employee Family Assistance Program
• Health Care
• Dental Care
• Vision Care
• Emergency Travel Assistance

Inside Our World

It is an exciting time at Kids Help Phone. We are on a transformational journey, one that will reshape the landscape of youth mental health in Canada.

In March 2023, we launched Feel Out Loud, a historic, national movement anchored by a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $300 million by the end of 2024 to reach young people in every corner of Canada with expanded access to e-mental health services.

We’re adding to our innovative fundraising team who will help fuel this mission. If the thought of making a positive impact on the mental health of young people in Canada inspires you, this could be for you.

The Small Print

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you may be asked to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role and the overall business objectives of Kids Help Phone. Don’t meet every single qualification and requirement? Studies have shown that women and racialized people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Kids Help Phone we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles that our organization is recruiting for.

Accommodation Statement:

Kids Help Phone welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities, as such reasonable accommodations are available upon request from a candidate with a disability, thus ensuring you can take part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. If, as a qualified job applicant, you make an accommodation request, we will consult with you and provide reasonable accommodation according to your accessibility needs. If you wish to make a request for accommodation, please provide details in your cover letter when applying for this position.

Background Check:

The successful candidate to this role will be asked to complete a background screen, which may include criminal, credit, employment, educational checks and/or COVID 19 vaccination checks. All offers of employment are conditional on the receipt of satisfactory results of any applicable check.

Statement on I.D.E.A.:

Kids Help Phone provides services in one of the most diverse countries in the world. The diversity of our communities takes many forms. It includes differences related, amongst others to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, gender expression and presentation, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, and socioeconomic status. We see diversity as an asset to our organization and communities and strive to be reflective of the communities that we serve. We commit ourselves to promoting better understanding and appreciation of our human diversity; a commitment which is best realized through our individual and collective effort.

We are professionally and personally committed to celebrating the rich diversity, equity and inclusion of people who work in our company, to those who live in our communities, and to those who access our services and resources. We believe that it is critical that our services empower freedom of thought and opinion in an environment of mutual respect. All our activities and interactions are enriched by accepting each other as we are and by celebrating our uniqueness as well as our commonality. We are guided by the principle that celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion enriches and empowers the lives of all people.

Message to Agencies:

Kids Help Phone does not accept unsolicited telephone calls, referrals or resumes from any source other than directly from candidates. Kids Help Phone will not consider unsolicited telephone calls, referrals and/or resumes from vendors including and without limitation, search firms, staffing agencies, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies. The submission of referrals or resumes by anyone other than a candidate directly to Kids Help Phone is not welcome. Unsolicited referrals and resumes sent to Kids Help Phone will be deemed gratuitous, and Kids Help Phone will not be obligated or bound in any way to pay a referral or any other fee if a person referred to us from a source other than a direct candidate is subsequently hired.