Data Scientist

Overview

Join to apply for the Data Scientist role at Inter-American Development Bank

This is an international staff role based at our Headquarters in Washington, D.C. We offer visa and relocation support.

We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About This Position

We are looking for an analytical, impact-oriented and visually-savvy Data Scientist to join the Regional and Sectoral Data Group (RSD) within the Research Department (RES). RSD coordinates and supports the efficient management, governance, and reuse of regional and sectoral data generated or obtained through research, knowledge, and operational work that is not produced in the Bank’s core systems but remains under the responsibility and / or custody of the IDB. This includes both traditional (censuses, surveys, administrative records) and non-traditional (social networks, digital exhaust, satellite imagery, mobile data, etc.) data sources used across VPS, VPC, SPD and other areas. RSD’s mandate is to turn scattered datasets into strategic, reusable assets that accelerate decisions safely and consistently across the institution.

As a Data Scientist, you will co-design reusable analytical products (from notebooks to production pipelines), apply statistical and machine learning methods, and translate findings into clear, policy-relevant narratives. You will work closely with data engineers and data governance specialists to ensure solutions are FAIR-aligned (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), privacy-preserving, and ready for pilot-to-production adoption by multiple teams.

What you’ll do

• Engage with stakeholders (operations, country teams, researchers) to frame decision problems and turn them into analytical backlogs with clear success metrics.
• Analyze complex, multi-source datasets (surveys, admin records, geospatial / satellite, mobile, open data) to detect patterns and produce actionable insights.
• Apply statistical / econometric and machine learning techniques (e.g., causal inference, prediction, classification, segmentation, small-area estimation, nowcasting) to support evidence-based and policy.
• Build reusable components : features, model pipelines, and production-grade dataflows (in collaboration with data engineers) with version control, testing, and basic MLOps.
• Develop interactive visual products (Power BI, Tableau, Plotly / Dash / Streamlit) and clear storytelling to make technical results accessible to non-technical audiences.
• Implement data quality checks (schema, range, duplication, drift) and document data lineage / assumptions to ensure reproducibility and auditability.
• Work with data governance specialists to uphold privacy-by-design, ethical AI practices, and compliant sharing (e.g., data-use agreements, tiered access).
• Contribute to capacity building (playbooks, brown-bags, office hours) with country counterparts and internal teams; promote “build once—reuse many” practices.
• Continuously explore and evaluate new tools (including AI / LLMs), keeping a pragmatic focus on impact, robustness, and maintainability.

What you'll need

Education : Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Computer / Data Science, or a related quantitative field.

Experience

Languages : Proficiency in English and one of the other IDB official languages (Spanish, French, or Portuguese) is required.

Requirements

Type of contract and duration

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include :

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.

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