Fast Facts

WGU is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to enhance student success through data analytics by developing predictive models and collaborating across various teams.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include documenting complex data requirements, developing predictive models, and facilitating collaboration across departments to improve data quality and insights.

Skills: Required skills include advanced SQL proficiency, experience with data pipelines, proficiency in data visualization tools like Tableau, and knowledge of statistical and predictive modeling techniques.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in a related field, 7 years of relevant experience, and proficiency in Object-Oriented Programming.

Location: This position is located in Salt Lake City, UT, and is in-office with no remote options available.

Compensation: $140200 - $217200 / Annually

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Technical 410 Pay Range: $140,200.00 - $217,200.00 Job Description The Institutional Analytics and Research (IAR) team supports and enables most university teams, departments, and colleges to make data-informed decisions that lead to better student outcomes. Our analysts, scientists, researchers, and managers are distributed across several teams: Faculty Analytics, Institutional Research, Curriculum Analytics, Outreach Analytics, and Student Success Analytics. The Senior Data Scientist is responsible for producing valuable information from very large sets of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. They establish and maintain strong relationships with peers and leaders across IAR, Data Engineering, Product Management, Finance, EdTech, and Faculty staff. They utilize statistical models, machine learning, text mining, natural language processing, and other methods to create predictive models. These models may be integrated into new or existing workflows. Job Duties Documents data, analytics, and research needs in projects of high complexity with a student and equity-centered lens, collaborating with peers, cross-functional partners, faculty staff, and leaders. Leads the translation of user stories into technical requirements. Sets and manages expectations about complex analytics tasks and activities through clear, timely, and effective communication with partners and stakeholders. Answers complex business questions requiring extensive knowledge of the university’s data assets across several domains and departments. Identifies adequate data sources and data sets to evaluate hypotheses and produce forecasts. Analyzes very large data sets from both structured and unstructured sources and develops statistical and predictive models. Collaborates with Data Engineering in the development of complex ETL/ELT processes and data pipelines. Identifies, investigates, and solves complex data issues, contributing to the accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and validity of the university’s data. Collaborates with Data Engineering and other data & analytics partners to define standards and best practices that increase data quality across the university. Utilizes software, scripts, and algorithms to perform complex data-related tasks (e.g., importing, cleaning, transforming, analyzing, displaying) without human intervention. Combines data analysis, visualization, and narrative structures to convey information in compelling ways that instigate deliberate action. Conveys information effectively to peers, partners, and senior leaders, using a variety of resources and formats (synchronous and asynchronous, verbal and written) such as e-mails, presentations, meetings, and workshops. Creates and organizes information about processes, projects, operations, data assets, and insights from analyses and research, making it accessible in ways that increase the university’s knowledge and efficiency. Writes and interprets technical documentation (e.g., Entity-Relationship, Conceptual, Logical, and Physical data models). Contributes actively to the development of the university’s data management platforms (e.g., data dictionaries, catalogs, etc.). Plays a prominent role in other team members’ development through constructive feedback and sharing of technical and institutional knowledge. Tracks and reports own progress, dependencies, and challenges diligently. Breaks down complex goals into concrete tasks and activities, and actively supports leaders in project planning. Drives tasks, activities, and medium-scale projects with high levels of autonomy, confidence, and collaboration with peers and partners. Designs medium-scale solutions and collaborates effectively with other technical specialists (e.g., data engineers) in the construction of data products, systems, and applications. Supports leadership in strategic planning and contributes to operational excellence across the department. Understands and abides by the relevant policies and methods to access, use, transform, store, and delete data in responsible, secure, and compliant ways. Identifies data security risks when dealing with concrete data sets and takes adequate mitigation actions. Works actively to improve skills and knowledge through internal and external, formal and informal, structured and unstructured learning. Is a lifelong learner and embodies a growth mindset. Stays abreast of innovative developments in their area of work and plays an active role in deploying them at the university. Performs other job-related duties as assigned. KSAs Advanced knowledge in accessing, retrieving, manipulating, inserting, and deleting data from structured and unstructured databases. Advanced SQL proficiency, with experience writing queries and subqueries, modifying data (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE), creating views, and knowledge of the different join types, filtering, sorting, aggregation, window functions, common table expressions (CTE), and performance tuning. Ability to interpret and design models that describe how data relate to one another and to the properties of the real-world entities they represent. Understands conceptual and logical data modeling, and has experience with dimensional models, star schema, and snowflake schema. Familiarized with versioning tools in the context of CI/CD (e.g., Github) and deploys models using the university’s machine learning operations (MLOps) self-service capabilities. Highly proficient and experienced in using tools like Tableau and Power BI to present data and information utilizing charts, graphs, and maps, in ways that make it easy to understand trends, patterns, and outliers. Subject matter expert in the selection and deployment of a variety of mathematical models, forecasting methods (e.g., time series, inferential, regression), descriptive statistics, and classification algorithms to make predictions and identify relationships based on limited sets of data. Considerable experience using Python, R, and/or Natural Language Processing in an ML environment, requiring little to no supervision. Highly skilled at selecting and deploying methods and techniques like A/B Testing. Comfortable with common project management methodologies and frameworks (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, SDLC). Proficient in the MS Office suite, including advanced Excel knowledge. Proficient in flowchart and diagramming tools like Miro, Visio, Lucidchart, and similar applications. Ability to apply sound judgment, systems-thinking, and analytical skills to assess risks, perform root-cause analyses, make recommendations, and drive cross-functional decisions that contribute to the achievement of the university’s objectives. Ability to perform with very high levels of autonomy, reliability, self-direction, and with a bias for action. Manages conflicting and concurrent activities with minimal need of supervision. Knowledge of the university’s most relevant KPIs, the drivers that affect them, and plays an active role in their definition and tracking. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's Degree in a related discipline 7 years of related experience in Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Data Science, Statistics, Decision Intelligence, Research, Learning Science, or Behavioral/Cognitive Psychology. Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager. Preferred Qualifications Object Oriented Programing proficiency Experience with Python and Data Bricks Experience in Marketing or Higher Education Work Location: This position is in-office in Salt Lake City, UT. Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require. Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law. In 1997, a coalition of 19 U.S. governors founded Western Governors University with a singular vision: to make higher education more accessible by offering full degree programs online. Starting small, we quickly expanded. Today, we’re one of the largest accredited online universities in the U.S. Click on the links below to learn more: Enrollment Counselor Evaluator Field Experience Roles (Part-time & Intermittent) Program Mentor Service Desk Technician Mexico Team