Data Science Entry Jobs in Massachusetts (NOW HIRING)

Boston College Introduction
Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.
Job Description
Job Description:
The Boston College ConnellSchool of Nursing is committed to groundbreaking research in nursing,healthcare, and public health. Dr. Petreca's team is seeking a Senior ResearchAssociate to join our research team and support the data systems that underpinthe Center's research, evaluation, and technical assistance work with lawenforcement agencies, behavioral health providers, and state agencies acrossthe Commonwealth.
As a Senior Research Associate - Data Systems, you willbuild and maintain the databases that support the Center's research andprogram-monitoring work, principally the Massachusetts Department of MentalHealth Jail Diversion Program (JDP) database, built on the Quickbase platform.The database supports data collection, reporting, and the monitoring of programperformance and fidelity across participating sites. This is an ongoingoperational and development role: you will keep the system running day to daywhile continuing to build it out, adding sites and measures as programs expand,streamlining data collection, and running the quality assurance processes thatkeep multi-site data accurate and usable.
Responsibilities:
Database Development and Administration: Build, configure, and administer the Center's Quickbase applications, including table and relationship design, field and variable definitions, roles and permissions, and coordination with Quickbase on licensing, releases, and technical support.
System Build-Out: Extend the database to accommodate new sites, measures, and reporting requirements as programs expand, without disrupting historical data or active collection.
Data Collection Workflows: Configure and streamline data entry, including forms, field and form rules, validation logic, and Quickbase Pipelines and automations that reduce manual burden on participating sites.
Data Quality Assurance: Run validation, error detection, and reconciliation processes across sites; resolve inconsistencies and refine system controls to prevent recurring errors.
Reporting and Data Extraction: Build and maintain the reports, dashboards, exports, and queries used by the research team, partner programs, and state agencies, including the measures and thresholds through which program performance and fidelity are monitored.
Data Integration: Aggregate data from partner programs, agency systems, and research instruments into analysis-ready datasets for the Center's evaluations and research.
Site Support: Serve as the technical point of contact for participating sites; onboard users, train staff on data entry standards, and resolve access and reporting questions.
Data Security and Compliance: Maintain data handling practices consistent with data use agreements, IRB protocols, and/or applicable privacy and security requirements governing behavioral health and criminal-legal records.
Documentation: Maintain documentation of data structures, variable definitions, workflows, and system changes to support continuity and transparency.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred in business administration, operations management, information systems, health informatics, data science, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and demonstrated experience in database and operations management will be considered.
5+ years of experience designing, building, and administering research or program databases, including responsibility for a system in active production use.
Hands-on Quickbase experience, including app and table design, relationships, forms and rules, roles and permissions, reports, and Pipelines; experience with comparable low-code database platforms will be considered.
Proficiency in relational data modeling, and working knowledge of SQL or comparable query tools.
Working proficiency in at least one analytic language such as Python or R.
Experience handling sensitive or regulated data, including familiarity with IRB requirements and data use agreements.
Ability to work independently and manage a technical portfolio with limited supervision.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical constraints to non-technical partners in law enforcement, behavioral health, and state government.
Experience in a criminal-legal, behavioral health, or public sector research setting preferred.
Closing Statement
Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

• Tuition remission for Employees
• Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
• Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Low-Cost Life Insurance
• Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
• Paid Holidays Annually
• Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
• Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.
Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination.