Employment Data Processing

Data Processing Positions

Data Processing Manager

Relevant Skills and Competencies: This person should be highly conversant with the logic of social science/survey data processing as well as the core data processing programs used in survey research. As a result, they will be able to manage the data processing process for survey projects with only general direction. Included are the following:

  • CATI (preferably WinCATI/CI3): can program questionnaires with minimum direction, understands enough survey conventions that standard survey procedures may be executed in questionnaires with only broad direction. Similar role for web survey operations.

  • Access: highly facile and able to produce moderately simple manipulations with great ease and speed and complex manipulations efficiently.

  • SPSS: able to supervise or execute file construction and manipulation (recodes etc.) as well as data tabulations. Should have a sufficient understanding of SPSS to write code, not just running items from the menus.

  • Proprietary Programs: skilled enough to very quickly master in-house proprietary programs (e.g., XTAB, open-ended processing routines).

  • Is facile at exchanging data between these programs and other programs without any resultant errors (for example, in designation of missing values). Especially conversant in exchanges between CI3, SPSS, Access/Excel, ASCII.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Manage all survey data processing processes including those related to design, field, tabulation, and reporting as well as mass Winfax and mass email operations.

  • Maintain documentation of all processing activities through designated forms; revises and creates these forms as necessary.

  • Enforce file naming conventions throughout the company such that all documents and files can be unambiguously, reliably and instantly retrieved by all staff.

  • Facile with software and hardware troubleshooting sufficient to keep our computers and systems running, either personally or through the supervision of other staff.
  • Optimize operating systems, crashes, defrag, virus protection.
  • Monitor and ensure consistent backups are undertaken on an off site such that it is not possible to lose any file.
  • Although this is a secondary feature of this job, a data processing manager should be fully conversant with Microsoft Office programs to the point where they can be the principal company resource for:
  • Word: understands the use of styles (not just fonts), facile with mail merge (e.g., import external lists), and graphic manipulations
  • Powerpoint: can do at least moderately customized presentations (beyond preprogrammed styles).

Generally the requirements of this position assume full time employment, although an exceptionally well-organized person may be able to perform these functions at 25+ hours a week if accompanied by a commitment to see critical processes through.

Computer Research Associate

Generally, a Computer Research Associate will perform many of the tasks of the Data Processing Manager, although perhaps at a lower skill level. Our goal, however, is that such a person should be sufficiently skilled and motivated to advance in the direction of the skills outlined for a Data Processing Manager. This implies more than an "I'm sure I can learn" conviction. While desirable, that conviction should be accompanied by a sufficient skill level to make such a belief realistic.

Generally, such skills will ideally fall into two areas: survey research skills and data processing skills. At a minimum, there should be significant experience/education in either one or the other. Relevant survey research skills are outlined under the "Project Manager" description.

Relevant computer skills for a Computer Research Associate include facility with as many of the core data processing programs as possible:

  • CATI: (preferably WinCATI/CI3) and Web Survey programming: If you have not done CATI programming, some prior experience in a linear programming language is helpful (Fortran, Basic (not Visual Basic) or some other language requiring flow charting). Such a background would expedite learning to program CATI questionnaires.

  • Access: can at least perform routine queries, tables, and forms with ease

  • SPSS: is moderately conversant with file set-up, recodes, and basic file manipulations (i.e., a level of expertise that goes beyond just using menus). At a minimum, can perform recodes and document what has been done. To this end, providing us with input statements (not output) would be a helpful indication of your skill level.

  • Some demonstrated experience in exchanging data between these programs and other programs without any resultant errors (for example, in designation of missing values). Especially relevant would be exchanges between CI3, SPSS, Access/Excel, ASCII)

  • Microsoft Office facile (meaning more than rudimentary understanding of Word and Excel)

  • Able to troubleshoot hardware and software-the ability to fix problems yourself.

This position may be either full- or part-time. Generally the number of hours of employment that can be offered are dependant on the skill level of the candidate.
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