Senior Data Analyst

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), through its Shelter Animals Count program, collects, analyzes, and shares animal sheltering data. The Senior Data Analyst owns the end-to-end data request pipeline, conducts analytics and data quality investigations, and supports machine learning and forecasting initiatives to deliver accurate, actionable insights for animal welfare stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• Subject matter expert and owner of end-to-end insights pipeline for internal and external data requests, from scoping with stakeholders through execution and delivery. Ensure timely response, accurate statistics, clear methodology explanations, and actionable insights. Demonstrate intellectual curiosity by proactively exploring data for additional insights beyond initial inquiries when appropriate
• Own and orchestrate request intake and project tracking systems (Zendesk, HubSpot, Asana), ensuring requests are logged, assigned, statused, and resolved on schedule
• Serve as the point person for the broader SAC program and other ASPCA teams on media and partner data requests, leading conversations with requesters to clarify scope, define deliverables, and set realistic timelines
• Conduct descriptive and exploratory analyses of SAC sheltering data to fulfill insights requests, applying consistent definitions, business rules, and documented caveats and limitations
• Lead the creation of bespoke insights for press, internal ASPCA data requests, peer-reviewed publications, and seasonal reporting, distilling complex behavioral insights (intake seasonality, adoption journey timelines, etc.) for non-technical audiences
• Create clear documents, summary tables, and data visualizations for communicating findings to multiple stakeholder audiences (member organizations, researchers, media, funders)
• Develop and templatize analytical scripts (SQL/Python/R) and maintain documentation of standard request types to improve consistency and reduce turnaround time for bespoke requests
• Design self-service dashboards and automate data analysis workflows to make insights accessible and timely
• Build strong, supportive working relationships across teams, departments, and external partners to advance shared goals
• Own development of reports, dashboards, and monitoring tools to foster data quality, integrity, and observability of our analysis pipelines. Independently investigates data quality events and anomalies
• Monitor incoming reported data for completeness, consistency, and anomalies. Own quality triage workflows and escalate to key stakeholders to resolve anomalies before they reach reporting
• Partner on work that improves the performance and integrity of our machine learning models. Take responsibility for data preparation, validation, model runs, and results summarization. Serve as the subject matter expert on model estimates for insights requests and identify areas for improvement
• Uphold and promote data governance policies, business rules, and definitions to ensure consistent program evaluation and measurement
• Own and adhere to data governance practices that directly impact insights fulfillment and data requests. Support the SAC team in implementing improved data governance processes, including workflow design, business rules, role permissions, quality assurance, approval, and publishing protocols
• Integrate and evaluate third-party data (e.g., macroeconomic, demographic, and community data) to provide broader context on animal welfare trends
• Streamline and automate manual processes to ensure the most current data is readily available to business users
• Document data quality issues, decisions, and known limitations so they are transparent to internal and external data users

Requirements:

• • Self-motivated individual capable of working independently; leading and prioritizing multiple, concurrent programs and initiatives; and remaining curious about the data to stretch beyond questions asked
• • Exceptionally organized and detail-oriented, with experience and demonstrated ability owning and prioritizing a high volume of concurrent requests and projects with a high level of accuracy and integrity
• • Experience communicating and presenting to both technical and non-technical leaders and audiences
• • Experience in the animal welfare field working with sheltering data required, including experience with sheltering data in shelter management software (e.g., PetPoint, Chameleon, Shelterluv, ShelterBuddy, or similar)
• • Experience managing structured intake and project tracking systems; familiarity with Zendesk, HubSpot, and Asana strongly preferred
• • Knowledge of and experience with SQL and either Python or R
• • Knowledge of and experience with data visualization and dashboard tools (Tableau, Power BI, or similar)
• • Familiarity with statistical techniques -- including descriptive and inferential methods -- and willingness to grow modeling skills; experience improving supervised learning and forecasting models a plus
• • Experience with or enthusiasm for using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, Copilot) to accelerate analytical workflows
• • Ability to exemplify ASPCA's core values and behavioral competencies
• • 4+ years of experience in data analysis, data management, data reporting, or applied research within non-profit, enterprise, academic research, or related fields required
• • Experience with animal welfare data collection, animal sheltering software, and animal shelter data analysis is required
• • Experience with data analysis and visualization tools required: SQL; Python or R; and Tableau, Power BI, or code-based dashboarding such as Plotly or interactive
• English (Required)
• Bachelors (Required)
• • Experience with Shelter Animals Count data strongly preferred
• • Advanced degree in statistics, data science, data analytics, or related quantitative field preferred, or equivalent work experience
• • Experience working with large-scale datasets (millions of records) and deriving meaningful insights from complex, multi-dimensional data preferred