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Native Americans in Philanthropy is dedicated to increasing and nurturing Indigenous representation in the philanthropic sector. With that in mind, the opportunities on our Job Board fit one of the following criteria:    

  1. The position is within a philanthropic or nonprofit organization 
  2. The position itself is philanthropic in nature and/or focuses on roles essential to or valued by the philanthropic sector i.e. fundraising, grantmaking, gift processing or development, donor relations, nonprofit management and/or administration, social justice, equity, conservation, etc.  

Please submit your job opportunity here and note that assessment and approval of submissions can take up to 48 hours.

NOTE: Positions marked as "Featured" are either Native-focused roles or based at organizations focused on Native communities.

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Data Scientist

University of Minnesota Foundation
Full Time

Job Details

About Us: At the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF), our mission is to connect passion with possibility, inspire generosity, and support greatness at the University of Minnesota by placing donors at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make. UMF is a nonprofit organization responsible for raising and managing gifts to the University of Minnesota.   For more information about UMF, please visit https://give.umn.edu/about/about-umf. About the role: The University of Minnesota Foundation serves as the central development office for the University of Minnesota. The Foundation raises and manages gifts from individuals and organizations to support the mission of the University. This position resides within the Prospect Development Department at the University of Minnesota Foundation.  Prospect Development is a strategic department, focusing on providing actionable insight to the development community via research, analytics, prospecting and prospect management. This position will work within a team of technical experts in predictive modeling, data visualization and analysis to draw knowledge and insights to help advance the University’s development program, in support of the University’s major gift fundraising. This position serves as a data scientist experienced in predictive modeling, machine learning, and programming. They analyze high dimensional and high volume donor giving data constituencies and derive findings. They prepare and apply input for philanthropic strategy using advanced analytical and technical skills. They discover patterns, identify opportunities, pose questions, and present findings in a highly usable way. What you’ll do: Conducts data analysis and employ data science techniques to extract knowledge and insights from alumni and donor data in partnership with PD team members (80%)
  • Build predictive models to determine likelihood to donate to a solicitation/marketing channel or measure engagement to the university. Use forecasting and analysis to recognize patterns to identify opportunities or reasons behind lift/decrease of production.
  • Build and evaluate supervised and unsupervised machine learning models including linear regression, logistic regression, random forest, SVM, and K-means clustering in support of major fund gift raising with other senior analysts, researchers, and external partners.
  • Conduct data analysis to extract knowledge and insights from complex, high dimensional and high volume data sets.
  • Generate and test hypotheses and analyze and interpret the results of experiments. Use various data query and analysis to access multiple data sources.
  • Make recommendations based upon how the data can be turned into insight to support business performance and decisions.
Demonstrate commitment to training and sharing data science methodologies with the team (20%)
  • Conduct research and apply knowledge of existing and emerging data science to inform solutions across a broad array of functions and business decisions and present findings. 
  • Assist in developing and reviewing code in GitHub, and share learnings and train other team members in new data science methodologies and technical skills.
Demonstrate commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an equitable and inclusive working and learning environment (exhibit 100% of the time) We take care of you:
  • Comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes medical, vision, dental, and pharmacy coverage; life insurance; retirement; long-term care insurance; and disability coverage.
  • Come. Work. Stay. Play. The U of M is conveniently accessible by light rail, bus, and bike. And we offer discounted bus transportation through our “U-Pass” program.
  • The University of Minnesota embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
Qualifications:
  • BA/BS plus at least two years of experience or a master’s degree in data science, computer science, statistics, or related field.
  • Demonstrated expertise in statistics/data science tools such as R or Python. Demonstrated expertise in working in relational database and SQL queries.
  • Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and to develop solutions, analyze alternative solutions, and make recommendations.
  • Demonstrated ability to create work plans and manage deadlines.
Diversity: The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission.  The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  To learn more about diversity at the U:  http://diversity.umn.edu. Employment Requirements Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment. Please note: All employees at the University of Minnesota are required to report complete vaccination against COVID-19 or submit documentation requesting a medical or religious exemption on their first day of employment. To learn more, please visit the University's COVID-19 Response webpage. How to Apply: Applications must be submitted online through the U of M Careers site.  To submit your application, please follow this link: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/355196. If you have any difficulties or questions while applying feel free to contact Lucas Gangsei, Talent Acquisition Partner, at lucasg@umn.edu.

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