OverviewData Scientist – Demographic & Population ForecastingWe're looking for someone who lives and breathes demographic trends, population data, and the work of predicting how communities change over time.
Expertise in demographics or social science is important, and experience with building models, shipping tools, or forecasting population change is a plus.ResponsibilitiesDevelop and refine demographic forecasting models, including prototype models and features for production systems.Collaborate with engineers to translate research insights into production-ready components.Explore new datasets and methods to improve population predictions; work with large, messy, multi-source datasets (e.g., census, surveys, administrative data).
Prototype new techniques for small-area or high-resolution forecasts and test alternative approaches.Translate research findings into practical, decision-ready outputs for products or projects.Write clear, data-backed explanations of model outputs for stakeholders and communicate complex findings to technical and non-technical audiences.Collaborate with product teams to explain methodology to clients and with sales to understand requirements for new scenario models.Identify and debug edge cases in forecasting models and iterate on solutions.Model housing or property development as independent variables or as probability functions where appropriate.QualificationsStrong background in demography, population studies, social sciences, or related fields.Proven experience with demographic or population forecasting methods (traditional and/or novel approaches).
Solid analytics skills: statistical modeling, time-series analysis, spatial data, or microsimulation.Ability to work with large, messy datasets and multi-source data; comfortable writing SQL queries and doing analysis in Python.Strong communication skills; ability to explain complex findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.Experience with software development or data-driven products is a plus.Creative, curious mindset; willingness to experiment and challenge assumptions.Job DetailsSeniority level: Mid-Senior levelEmployment type: Full-timeJob function: Information Technology and ResearchIndustry: Research ServicesLocation: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia#J-18808-Ljbffr