Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Research Scientist 2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MAFull-time$74–111K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago

Evaluate my fit

Most applications go out cold — see where you stand first. No sign-up to start.

Watch jobs like this.

Don't just apply. Show up ready.

Olive works from this exact posting.

At a glance

Compensation
$74–111K/yr
Location
Cambridge, MA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Master's degree

Job overview

The Research Scientist 2 will oversee the data science workflow for the MEDSL election data lab, managing data collection, processing, and dissemination, assisting the director with research projects, and supervising student staff while ensuring quality control for the 2026 Elections Performance Index.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

RPythonStataData ScienceWeb DesignCommunicationFlexibilityInitiativeTeamwork

Qualifications

Master's Degree in Data Science or Political Science or Related Area

Full job description

Research Scientist 2

  • Job Number: 26093

  • Functional Area: Research - Other

  • Department: Political Science

  • School Area: Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences

  • Pay Range Minimum: $74,000

  • Pay Range Maximum: $111,000

  • Employment Type: Full-Time

  • Employment Category: Exempt

  • Visa Sponsorship Available: No

  • Schedule: M-F

  • Pay Grade: No Grade

Email a Friend Save Save Apply Now

Posting Description

RESEARCH SCIENTIST 2, Political Science-MIT Election Data and Science Lab(MEDSL), to oversee the data science workflow of the lab's election-related data collection, processing, and dissemination efforts including assisting the director with designing and implementing research projects, gathering and analyzing data, designing research protocols, and documenting results; managing data science and quality control for the 2026 release of the Elections Performance Index (EPI); acquiring data from government sources and designing protocols to update indicators not provided by government sources; assisting with redistricting data collection/dissemination efforts; working with web designers to update EPI website and creating original content for MEDSL website; onboarding and monitoring the work of students/research support associates; tracking scholarship in the field of election science; and performing other data science/administative/reporting duties as assigned. MEDSL aims to improve the democratic experience for all U.S. voters by applying scientific principles to how elections are studied and administered.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Master's degree in data science, political science, or related area; experience analyzing data independently using statistical programs such as R Python, and Stata; excellent written and oral communication skills; flexibility; initiative; and ability to work as part of a team and as an independent researcher. PREFERRED: Research experience in voting, elections, election administration, redistricting, campaign finance, or similar subjects; demonstrated portfolio in data science and/or original computationally-intensive quantitative social science; candidates for and recent Ph.D. recipients in political science, economics, or related field with strong data science concentration; and knowledge of web design and architecture; or at least four years' field experience in elections and voting research and significant data science experience will also be considered.9/23/2026

Similar jobs, posted recently

Open roles like this one, listed in the last 30 days.

You've read the whole posting — now see how you match it.

Evaluate my fit