Data Scientist

Position Summary

The Research and Analytics Department in the Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG) is seeking candidates for a full-time Data Scientist position. This role will primarily support initiatives across the Social Justice Division, with a particular focus on supporting the Voting Rights Section in the Civil Rights Bureau. The section is charged with, among other things, enforcing the newly-enacted New York Voting Rights Act, one of the strongest state voting rights laws in the country, including implementing one of the first-ever state “preclearance” programs.
The Data Scientist will utilize a vast array of tools to explore datasets, develop new databases, and use statistical modeling to detect anomalies in information pertinent to OAG investigations. The goal of the data scientist at OAG is to ensure that our most complicated cases and policy arenas have the benefit of advanced analytical tools, methodologies, and strategic thinking to understand how otherwise elusive trends can be laid bare once we dive into the underlying data.

Purview: As part of an innovative team housed in the Executive Division, you will primarily work with senior staff and bureaus within OAG’s Social Justice Division to support the division’s major initiatives, investigations, and policy development. Our team researches and writes analytical reports garnering national attention, directs multi-milliondollar grant programs, and supports OAG’s major investigations. See for example: lawsuit against auto lender for deceptive practices, preliminary report on NYPD response to Protests, JUUL lawsuit and remediation, opioids lawsuit, lawsuit preserving affordable housing from illegal kickback scheme, and the FCC fake comments report. Utilizing a vast collection of public and confidential information, you will work with data covering the breadth of OAG’s purview building advanced analytic tools to inform investigations that affect the lives of all New Yorkers. Employing over 1,800 people across New York state, OAG is both the “People’s Lawyer” and the state’s chief legal officer. The Data Scientist supports OAG’s work in numerous legal and regulatory arenas, including protecting the rights of investors and consumers, coordinating state-wide criminal investigations, promoting civil rights, economic and social justice, encouraging harm-reducing public health strategies, and preserving the state’s environment. The OAG also advises the Executive branch of state government and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the state. Duties: Data can and does play a pivotal role in decisioning on a wide range of OAG’s work. The Data Scientist is primarily responsible for: • All aspects of using data to develop and test legal hypotheses, including: o Brainstorming with legal teams on the data required o Acquiring data through public sources and assisting legal teams to acquire data from confidential sources to ensure the delivery of data sufficient for investigation o Testing data for reliability o Distilling and incorporating relevant academic and other analytical research o Developing and executing appropriate methodologies for data exploration and analysis o Clearly communicating findings verbally and through written reports and visualizations

o Continuously updating analysis in the face of feedback and new data o Quantifying uncertainty in analytical findings • Working closely with legal teams on all the aspects above and providing guidance and recommendations on decision making around data • Additional responsibilities may include: o Developing predictive modeling to detect anomalies o Developing or programming new databases or data tools o Writing fact and expert reports for submission to the court and defending analysis and findings in depositions o Helping to maintain and improve the team’s shared computational infrastructure o Staying informed of the latest advances in data tools and techniques and sharing newfound skills with the team o Performing other duties as requested