Data Research Specialist

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is seeking a Data Research Specialist to work in the union’s Data and Contracts Department.

Employer Background

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters union is the largest and most diverse union in the country with over 1.3 million members. For more than a century, the Teamsters union has been standing up for working people. Beyond freight drivers and warehouse workers, the Teamsters represent workers in virtually every occupation imaginable – from airline pilots to zookeepers, and nearly everything in between.

The Data and Contracts Department offers technology solutions to help Teamster local unions use digital resources more efficiently and effectively. Created as part of the Teamsters’ commitment to increasing union membership and securing strong contracts, the Data and Contracts Department serves local affiliates and Teamsters trade divisions/conferences as a key clearinghouse for statistical and contracts information. The department maintains the largest labor contract database of any union in North America, with more than 350,000 current and expired Teamster labor agreements.

Position Description

The Data Research Specialist’s role is to conduct research (and some data work) to maintain and improve the Teamsters contract database, while also assisting Teamster local unions, trade divisions, and other staff in accessing vital information resources.

This position’s day-to-day work will likely include some combination of the activities below:

• Conducting independent research for Teamster local unions, trade divisions and conferences, and other departments at the Teamsters International Union.
• Creating and generating standard data reports from large datasets.
• Inputting, updating, and retrieving information from the Teamsters contract database.
• Conducting quality control checks on various data sources.

Depending on a candidate’s specialized expertise, other projects or activities may include:

• Applying intermediate and advanced research methods to improve large datasets.
• Helping to build new data systems for users across the union.
• Training fellow Teamsters staff members on new data tools.
• Facilitating and/or attending trainings at conferences or other events.

A successful candidate will demonstrate keen attention to detail, a drive to independently seek out answers to questions, and the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences. Technical experience with data is a preferred qualification for this position, but it is not a requirement.

Required Education and Skills

• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
  • One to three years’ experience in a library, research, or database environment. (One to three years of coursework at an accredited college or university will meet this requirement.)
  • Ability to type at a minimum rate of 45 words per minute.
  • Basic Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and applied research skills.
  • Ability to adhere to an onsite work schedule at the Teamsters union headquarters in Washington, DC (i.e., no telework or remote work).

Note: Selected candidates will be required to sit for online skills testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• • General familiarity with the labor movement, especially regarding labor union structures and collective bargaining agreements.
  • Knowledge of research methods and the ability to independently conduct research of publicly available and proprietary information sources, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.
  • Knowledge of database administration and the ability to use and build queries in Microsoft Access or other data platforms.
  • Demonstrated strong organizational and data retrieval skills.
  • Ability to independently compose clear and cogent written materials for a range of audiences and through different methods (e.g., emails, instruction guides, etc).
  • Ability to pay close attention to detail.
  • Proven capacity to successfully manage several assignments simultaneously.
  • Ability to perform repetitive tasks while maintaining a high level of quality.

The IBT is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and candidates with diverse backgrounds and life experiences to apply.