Lead Data Scientist - SafeHome Earthquake Resilience Project

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Volunteer Opportunity: Data Science Team Lead

Location: Hybrid in the SF Bay Area, remote possible.
Time Commitment: Flexible (~5 hours/week).
Volunteer Restrictions: You must live in the United States and have industry experience in the United States with an English-speaking company. At the moment we do NOT provide OPT hours/reporting for immigration.

About SF Civic Tech

SF Civic Tech is a welcoming and inclusive community of developers, designers, data enthusiasts, and civic-minded volunteers. We harness creative technology to tackle pressing civic and social challenges. We are proud members of the Alliance of Civic Technologists.

SafeHome

SafeHome is developing a web-based dashboard that helps San Francisco residents assess earthquake risks by address. As we approach the Alpha release, we’re seeking an experienced Data Science Team Lead to guide our data efforts and ensure the project is both impactful and sustainable.

Role Summary

We’re looking for a volunteer Data Science Team Lead who can spearhead the design and implementation of data-driven solutions that power the SafeHome platform. This role is pivotal in developing robust risk models, validating data quality, and applying analytical insights to support user engagement and growth.

You’ll collaborate closely with developers, designers, and project leads to transform raw data into actionable insights and user-friendly tools for the community.

Skills We’re Looking For

• Strong background in data science, including statistical modeling and machine learning
• Experience with Python and data frameworks such as Pandas, NumPy, or scikit-learn
• Knowledge of geospatial analysis (e.g., using GeoPandas, QGIS, or similar) is a plus
• Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Matplotlib, Plotly, or D3.js)
• Ability to design and implement data pipelines for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data
• Experience leading small data teams or mentoring other data professionals
• Passion for civic technology, social impact, and open-source collaboration
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and refinement of the earthquake risk assessment model
• Ensure data quality, including collection, cleaning, validation, and integration
• Develop strategies for presenting data insights to users through intuitive visualizations and interactive dashboards
• Collaborate with front-end and back-end developers to integrate data solutions into the web application
• Guide and mentor volunteer data contributors to foster a collaborative and productive team environment
• Apply growth hacking principles by identifying data-driven opportunities to increase user engagement and platform adoption
• Define success metrics, monitor model performance, and iterate to improve predictive accuracy and user impact
  
  

Benefits of Volunteering With Us

• Contribute to a meaningful civic-tech project with real-world impact
• Lead a team of passionate technologists, designers, and activists
• Build your portfolio with impactful data science work that showcases your leadership and technical skills
• Network with professionals across technology, design, and civic engagement
• Enjoy a flexible, remote volunteer opportunity on your own schedule
  
  

If you’re a collaborative, strategic, and data-driven thinker eager to use your skills for social good, we’d love to hear from you. Join us in building a safer, more informed San Francisco.

Interested? Reach out to us and share your background and motivation.