• Role: Full-time for three (3) months with possibility of renewal
• Location: Remote, U.S. preferred
• Reports to: Director of Product
• Start date: July 1, 2024 (July - September 2024)
• Salary range: $90,000 - $120,000 USD annually
  

Meedan seeks an experienced data scientist to uncover patterns and insights using audience data from our software, Check. In particular, the successful candidate will play a critical role in analyzing election-related audience data to uncover trends in global information patterns and internally evaluate the effectiveness of our clustering and analytics tools. While mining, interpreting, and cleaning our data, this person will be relied on to ask questions, connect the dots, and uncover hidden opportunities for realizing the data’s full potential. As part of a team of specialists, the data scientist will “slice and dice” data using various methods and create new visions for the future. This position is for a duration of three months, from July to September 2024, and will involve working closely with our senior engineering and communications teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Analysis and Evaluation: Conduct thorough analyses of election-related datasets to support the evaluation of machine learning techniques and uncover trends across multiple languages and regions
• Publishing: Support the production of a comprehensive public-facing report detailing 2024 election trends, and an internal report with key recommendations for programmatic improvements and project design
• Event Preparation: Assist in preparing and presenting findings at a hybrid event for partners and funders, highlighting key insights from the 2024 election data.

Specific Duties

The successful candidate will work with a Senior ML and Data Infrastructure Engineer who will assist with data retrieval and collection, and a Senior Communications Manager who will coordinate the publication of key findings into an outward-facing trend report.

• Investigate clusters of audience data to derive insights about similarity matching and general information trends within the dataset
• Evaluate user activity within Meedan’s Check software, including numbers of tipline requests, fact-checks, and user submissions during elections
• Conduct manual reviews of claims in clusters to assess the efficacy of similarity measures
• Provide detailed insights and recommendations for improving clustering techniques and data collection methods in the form of a final end-of-project report
• Collaborate with team members to ensure accurate and impactful data analysis and reporting.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Seven or more years of experience in data science
• Proficiency with data mining, mathematics, and statistical analysis
• Advanced experience in pattern recognition and predictive modeling
• Experience with Python, Excel, PowerPoint, Tableau, SQL, and programming languages (ex: SAS)
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, research-oriented group that has several concurrent projects
• Flexible with working hours to accommodate the needs of this position.

Preferred skills and qualifications

• Two or more years of project management experience
• Experience preparing and analyzing structured and unstructured datasets
• Experience working in journalism, non-profit, human rights or other relevant fields

About Meedan

Meedan is a global not-for-profit that helps journalists and human rights groups investigate and distribute critical information during elections, war, epidemics and other major events. We design programs that help improve the exchange of quality information in communities during breaking news. Our work has won multiple awards for collaborative project design around the world. Our software, Check, allows journalists and other information leaders to communicate directly with their audiences on closed messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber.

Our team members are distributed through multiple cities and time zones. Our team members are able to work flexibly and respond to challenges across a range of project areas. This includes the following:

• Flexible work from home
• Flexible schedule
• Support for home office
• Internal EDI training and regular EDI impact and policy reviews
• Code of Conduct

Benefits

At Meedan, we believe that the work we do is only as strong as the wellbeing of the people who make it happen. We’re committed to providing a broad range of employee benefits that uplift the engagement and growth of our people, and to truly embody awesome in our Meedan culture.

For candidates from the US, we have the following benefits available:

• Unlimited PTO including vacation, holidays, and sick time with expansive coverage, including for menstrual pain, caretaking responsibilities, and mental health needs. We are also closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Generous health and dental benefits, including 100% employee premium coverage and 50% coverage of dependents
• Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Options of employee-paid vision insurance, commuter benefits, healthcare FSA, and childcare FSA
• Matching 401k plan (100% match of the first 3% and 50% match of the next 2% employee contribution) and a flexible spending account
• Complimentary One Medical subscriptions for employees and dependents
• Complimentary Health Advocate and Talkspace (online therapy) subscriptions
• Complimentary Kindbody benefit (gynecology, fertility, and family-building)
• A one calendar month paid sabbatical after five years of employment
• Flexible leave for bereavement, major illness, parental responsibilities, pregnancy, military duties, civic responsibility, severe weather conditions

For candidates outside of the US, we negotiate a generous monthly service fee to allow you to manage your retirement and other costs.

Professional Development and Social Support

All candidates around the world have the following resources available:

• Professional development support
• Annual home office equipment stipend
• Monthly cell phone bill stipend
• Co-working office space stipend
• Mentorship program plus regular learning sessions/seminars
• Regular optional team social activities online and offline, including games, yoga, meditation and meals
• Generous travel support for in-person meetings and retreats with colleagues
• Paid subscription to meditation apps and other mental health resources
• Complimentary access to publications like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and others
• Digital security training and support

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We actively recruit and encourage applications from individuals from historically underrepresented communities in technology and journalism, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, women, people of color and/or from underrepresented cultural communities, and people with disabilities.