We welcome applications via email only. Applications submitted directly through workininnonprofits will not be considered.

This is a re-posted position.

Contract Type: Full-time (position funded through September 2023. Work is ongoing to secure funding beyond that period) 

Start Date: August 2022 

Location: Remote within Canada 

Closing Date: July 4, 2022 at 5:00 pm EST 

Hours of work: Flexible 

Salary: $75,000 - $95,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications 

Benefits: A generous benefits package will be made available following the end of the three-month probationary period, which includes health and dental benefits, AD&D, Long-term disability and life insurance. Group and individual professional development opportunities are also provided to staff. 

Paid time off: Four weeks (20 days) of paid vacation are provided and CERA typically closes between Christmas and New Year’s Day, providing a handful of additional paid days off for staff to rest and recharge. 10 paid days are also provided to use for personal and family illness, injury or medical emergency. 

Application Method: Cover letter + resume. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete an assignment and to participate in an interview. Please see instructions below. We welcome applications via email only. Applications sent directly through Workinnonprofits will not be considered. 

About CERA  

CERA is one of Canada’s oldest charities working to advance the right to adequate housing. Founded in 1987, CERA has worked tirelessly for over thirty years at the intersection of human rights and housing and is one of Canada’s leading NGOs working in the area of social and economic rights. CERA works to advance the right to adequate housing by:  

• Serving clients to help them stay housed: CERA provides free services to tenants facing eviction and human rights violations in their housing, and we are experts in these fields. Each year we provide services to over a thousand tenants and we are highly effective in ensuring that some of the most vulnerable Ontario renters remain in their homes.  

• Providing education and training about housing rights: CERA provides public education and training on housing rights and human rights in housing to diverse groups across Ontario, reaching approximately 1,000 people annually. We work with community partners to train individuals and communities about their housing rights and how to assert them, and we engage with landlords to educate them about their obligations as housing providers.    

• Advancing rights-based housing policy: CERA advances rights-based housing policy through research, policy development, advocacy and litigation. Notable achievements include setting a legal precedent preventing landlords from discriminating against renters who receive social assistance, launching a constitutional challenge against the federal government for failing to take action against homelessness, and coordinating the Right to Housing Toronto Network (R2HTO).    

Working at CERA 

CERA is a small but growing collaborative and cross-functional team of motivated professionals committed to advancing the right to housing. We are entering the second year of our strategic plan, which prioritizes organizational growth, working nationally, developing innovative ways to engage communities and individuals to support their right to housing and building new, dedicated teams in the areas of policy advocacy, research and strategic litigation. CERA’s four functional teams (Services and Education; Policy, Communications & Engagement; Research; and Strategic Litigation) work collaboratively together to support each other’s work in identifying and executing innovative ways to advance the right to housing.  

CERA’s office is located at the Centre for Social Innovation (Spadina location), an exciting, shared workspace that houses 250 non-profits and social innovators across multiple locations in downtown Toronto. It is accessible by transit and offers substantial opportunities to network with like-minded people and participate in a mission-driven, innovative community through various events. CERA’s head office has several workstations which are available to staff who would like to work from the office on a part-time or occasional basis.   

About the Role  

We are seeking a motivated and committed data professional with strong analytical, organizational, and strategic thinking skills to join our team and help us in our ambitious goal of advancing the right to housing for all. In this role, your ability to juggle multiple responsibilities under tight timelines is essential.   

Reporting to the Manager of Research, the successful candidate will be a key member of CERA’s research team and responsible for developing, overseeing and implementing CERA’s data strategy. The Data Scientist will ensure that we are effectively leveraging data from our work with clients and communities, from our partners, and from the broader housing sector in order to ensure our policy advocacy work is sound and evidence-based and will ensure that our research projects are appropriately reflecting CERA’s data strategy and priorities.  

Your responsibilities will include: 

• Serving as the staff lead responsible for all data-related initiatives. 
• Leading the development, implementation and refinement of CERA’s data strategy, and cultivating a data-enabled culture at CERA. 
• Leading and contributing to the design and development of research initiatives to ensure that they reflect CERA’s data strategy. 
• Analyzing data collected through CERA’s services and research work including determining the appropriate methodology and approach; designing the analysis plan; and preparing reports and presentations summarizing the results. 
• Consulting with CERA’s functional teams to ensure that appropriate data is being collected to support evidence-based decision making and advice to policy-makers.  
• Collaborating on research initiatives and projects with internal and external stakeholders as the team member responsible for analyzing data and developing data-driven insights. 
• Developing data science products, visualizations, and/or web-based applications to support the release of CERA’s data. 
• Coordinating and consulting on requests for CERA’s data from researchers and other stakeholders. 

 Required Qualifications 

• Advanced Degree in a quantitative field (e.g. Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, Engineering) or related analytical fields (a Bachelor’s Degree would be considered with the appropriate practical and relevant work experience).  
• At least 3 years of post-graduation professional experience performing data analysis, reporting, and/or applied research, including gathering requirements, analyzing data and communicating results, both written and verbally, to technical and non-technical audiences. 
• Experience using advanced statistical techniques including hypothesis testing and regression analysis. 
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g. Python), and/or statistical/mathematical software (e.g. R). Experience with data querying languages (e.g. SQL) an asset. 
• Skilled in exploratory analysis and mapping data flows, integration of datasets and reviewing data sources, tools, and methodologies. 
• Outstanding business acumen with data visualization skills and an aptitude for translating technical outputs into compelling stories. 
• Solid relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders on complex research initiatives. 
• Experience with software development tools and practices (e.g. version control). 
• Understanding of legislation around privacy and best practices for securing data. 
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English and an ability to communicate clearly and directly. 
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).  
• Experience working in the field of housing and familiarity of provincial and federal housing policy is an asset. 
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and supporting staff, students and/or volunteers is an asset. 
• Working proficiency in an additional language is an asset, particularly French. 

 Skills and attributes  

• Outstanding organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.  
• Ability to multi-task, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and adapt quickly to change.  
• Ability to work accurately under pressure with attention to detail and deadlines, and with minimal supervision. 
• Flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple and sometimes shifting priorities. 
• Strong strategic thinking skills, political acumen, diplomacy, discretion, tact and good judgement. 

We recognize and value the unique perspective that people with lived experience of poverty and/or precarious housing bring in addition to the skills and qualifications listed above. 

 To apply for this job 

Applications should include a resume and cover letter in one PDF document and should be submitted by email to   with the subject line: Application – Data Scientist.  

 At CERA, we believe that a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve strengthens our ability to achieve our mission. We strongly encourage applicants of all genders, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, abilities, and with a range of life experiences to apply.  

 We are committed to full compliance with the Human Rights Code, the Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and all other applicable legislation. We will provide accommodation during the hiring process upon request and information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.  

We thank all applicants for their interest. 

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

No telephone enquiries please.