ProSource360 is a Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Certified, HUBZone firm that offers Information Technology (IT) Support Services, Management Consulting, and Healthcare focused services to federal, state and local government agencies as well as selected healthcare organizations. ProSource360 is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in the quality of our team members and our work, in a cost-efficient manner. We help organizations achieve quantifiable solutions to their strategic imperatives.

ProSource360 Consulting Services, Inc. is seeking to hire a data scientist on a yearlong contract starting in September to support the NSF and Census’s Annual Business Survey (ABS).  The role will assist in creating a Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the Annual Business Survey (ABS). A PUMS will allow data users to create customized estimates and tables that are not available through pre-tabulated data products. The final PUMS will enable disclosure protections that will prevent individual respondents from being identified. 

Responsibilities

We anticipate the main tasks of the project will include the following:

• Phase 1
  • Literature review to create a comprehensive understanding of the current work being done on establishment survey PUMS within the federal government. (Early tasks while person is waiting for SSS)
  • Identify key measures to include in the ABS PUMS data set to ensure good utility
  • Identify variables that pose the most sensitivity or risk to responding establishments.
• Phase 2
  • Implement up to two competing approaches for creating ABS PUMS with satisfactory utility and disclosure protection
• Phase 3
  • Evaluate disclosure protections of methods from phase 2 via reidentification study
  • Develop a method for producing synthetic data and a discussion of subsampling rates
  • Evaluate utility by comparing ABS published products against those generated from ABS PUMS
• Phase 4
  • Evaluate (through analytical proofs, simulation, or both) the approximate formal properties of each method to create the PUMS
  • Prepare a report documenting the proposed process and recommendations on variables to remove due to vulnerabilities determined by the reidentification study, methodology to create synthetic data. It is our goal that final research report is something that can be used for future years of the ABS and be a repeatable process that can be adapted for other surveys.

We encourage applications from faculty mentoring and supporting a PhD student. There will be multiple opportunities for the researcher to publish their methodological investigations on this project.

Anticipated start date – September 2021 with a one-year term with possibility of extension.

Required

• Proficient with Python or similar programming language
•  Coursework or experience in differential privacy
• Course work or experience in other SDL methods such as synthetic data generation, swapping, subsampling, top-coding, etc.
• Master’s degree in relevant field such as Data Science or Statistics
•  Any researcher selected must obtain Special Sworn Status (SSS) from the Census Bureau. SSS is not required prior to starting. To obtain a SSS an individual must be a U.S. citizen or meet the following criteria: 1) have a formal affiliation with a US institution and possess a current visa (F, H, J) permitting work in the US, or have a Lawful Permanent Residence Card, 2) have 3 years of US residence within the past 5 years and 3) provide copies of current visa, permanent resident card, and the picture page of passport. If an individual is in the United States on a student visa, a copy of Form I-20 will be requested.  

ProSource360 Consulting Services, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. HUBZone candidates encouraged to apply.