Research Scientist, Demography and Survey Sciences

About the Role

The Demography and Survey Science team at Meta aims to enhance decision-making and impact measurement both internally and externally. We analyze survey and behavioral data to address challenges, solve problems, and inform strategic decisions. We are seeking quantitative social scientists experienced in tackling complex research questions.

Our interdisciplinary team comprises experts in statistical inference, survey methodology, causal inference and econometrics, regression modeling, exploratory data analysis, and mathematical demography. In this role, you will manage research projects from inception to completion, navigating design trade-offs, proposing methodologies, analyzing data, and communicating findings to diverse audiences to drive impactful decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a research agenda and drive research projects from end-to-end.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define relevant research questions.
• Design and deploy appropriate research methodologies to answer research questions.
• Develop innovative approaches to resolve challenging problems.
• Provide teams with usable measurement strategies and methodologies for better decision-making.
• Deliver insights and recommendations clearly to relevant audiences.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Minimum 2 years of experience in quantitative research, data analysis, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in designing original research to address complex questions.
• Demonstrated expertise in data manipulation and analysis software and programming languages (Python/R, SQL).
• Expertise and applied experience in measurement (e.g., survey design and analysis, experiment design, bias correction, measurement models, data collection, log data) and statistical inference (e.g., causal, Bayesian, machine learning).
• Experience initiating and driving research projects to completion with minimal guidance.
• Experience communicating analyses and results to broad audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to distill and communicate research insights to influence others' thinking, decision-making, and actions.
• Familiarity with qualitative research (e.g., focus groups, interviews, cognitive testing).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in the social sciences (e.g., Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Communication) or in a quantitative field (e.g., Statistics, Informatics, Econometrics).
• Strong candidates may include social scientists, applied statisticians, or other applied researchers with expertise in quantitative research methods, experience working with large datasets and relational databases, and experience with survey methodology (e.g., bias correction, sampling).

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies.
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews).
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements).