Position Summary: The Senior Data Analyst position has emerged in response to a federal mandate by the United States District Court Southern District of New York (SDNY) to help address systemic data architecture issues in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). The analyst will work closely with the Director of Systems and Analytics, Senior Systems Implementation Analyst, and Software Database Architect to unshackle the agency from restrictive data siloes and grow responsive data ecosystems in their places. Together they will develop and leverage key stakeholder relationships to identify and build technical solutions to address systemic challenges related to leveraging analytics. The Analyst’s contributions will be vital in cultivating Office of Systems and Analytics (OSA)’s office culture that prioritizes kindness, excellence, transparency, and civic responsibility.
The role involves the application of advanced analytical and problem-solving skills to gather, analyze, interpret, and visualize data to inform legal strategies, policy formulation, and decision-making processes. The analyst will help lead the charge in deploying next-generation technology within the NYCPS, including Microsoft Azure, Power Platform, AI LLM software, and more, alongside tried-and-true data tools like SQL, R, SPSS, STATA, Python, and Microsoft 365.
The Analyst will conduct research on all existing systems, identify and recommend critical indicators for regular reporting to Office of the General Counsel (OGC) leadership, and build the necessary tools for extracting, organizing, analyzing, and visualizing such data. These analytics will be incorporated into OGC leadership’s regular planning processes and the analyst will maintain a key role in training OGC stakeholders in the interpretation and use of data assets. The Senior Data Analyst is a high-impact role in the newly formed OSA to build responsive government in New York City.
The Challenge:
Public reporting shows that the NYCPS OGC is facing a ballooning number of annual special education cases. OGC faces significant challenges in using its many disparate and often antiquated case management systems to extract critical intel and develop key performance indicators for staffing, case triage, litigation approach, fraud-tracking and prevention, settlement opportunities, and policymaking. Developing these metrics is essential for OGC to shape a successful case management and resolution strategy in NYCPS’s ever-changing environment.
The Mission:
The Office of Systems and Analytics’ unique mission is to reimagine the ineffective systems & protocols that disproportionately impact marginalized communities and impede the larger OGC in its mission to provide ethical legal counsel & representation and create safe & inclusive learning environments. Our goal is to empower OGC with modern analytics, business intelligence, and a robust data culture to create a vibrant community of well-trained, technically competent, inclusive, collaborative, and focused legal professionals.
Performs related work.
Reports to: Director of Systems & Analytics
Direct Reports: N/A
Key Relationships: Various NYCPS instructional program staff, leadership, and senior staff in Offices of the General Counsel, Special Education, Division of Instructional and Information Technology, external partners, NYCPS stakeholders, and City and State officials, and others as needed.
Responsibilities
Data Management and Analysis
- Support the implementation of OGC data architecture and communication tools.
- Support the life cycle management of data analytics functions, including data quality reconciliation and report generation for OGC-related systems.
- Participate in data collection, analysis, and methodology decisions for OGC-related systems.
- Assist in building and maintaining user input systems in Microsoft Power Apps and data architecture for Microsoft Power BI.
- Ensure data integrity through careful handling of data imports/exports, storage, manipulation, analysis, and security for OGC-related data.
- Contribute to developing input systems for NYCPS attorneys and monitoring data from various OGC-related sources.
- Aid in designing and maintaining systems for institutional knowledge warehousing related to data management, codebases, UAT results, research findings, and business intelligence for OGC-related systems.
- Assist in investigating school documentation within NYCPS systems and databases for OGC-related matters.
- Support the design, surveying, and analysis of reports for OGC leadership.
- Stay current with the technology used by NYCPS and participate in relevant training for OGC-related systems.
Data Analysis and Reporting
- Assist in creating and maintaining dashboards, data collection systems, and automated reporting to streamline OGC-related case management.
- Support the collection, management, and analysis of data to formulate improvements to OGC-related systems.
- Contribute to the timely delivery of business intelligence reporting and ad-hoc requests for OGC-related systems.
- Utilize statistical software for confidential organizational research and policy studies related to OGC.
- Analyze special education cases to identify root causes and develop strategic mitigation plans for OGC-related issues.
- Conduct research into existing systems to map out available case data for OGC-related matters.
- Assist in developing data dashboards, case management systems, and compliance tracking procedures for OGC-related systems.
- Verify and ensure quality controls of OGC-related data, distributing reports to relevant stakeholders.
- Develop systems and processes for effective data asset management and OGC-related system promotion.
- Prepare statistical reports, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data for OGC-related matters.
- Apply analytical and creative approaches to solve issues related to systems and reporting.
- Identify dataset issues in OGC-related systems, presenting findings and recommendations.
- Provide support for internal and external projects related to OGC as needed.
System Development Support and Execution
- Assist in the design and implementation of computer automated procedures for transaction controls and routine report generation.
- Support the use and optimization of data warehousing and business intelligence tools.
- Prepare and present reports for senior leadership, maintaining confidentiality and aligning with the OGC’s directives.
- Employ advanced data analysis techniques to uncover patterns and trends, informing policy decisions.
- Contribute to the definition and adherence to methodology, principles, roadmap, standards, and guidelines for the OGC’s Data Governance Group.
Team Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
- Participate in needs assessments, program evaluations, and make systems recommendations.
- Support the capacity building of OGC users in navigating NYCPS special ed and OGC-related systems.
- Engage with central staff and various stakeholders, providing knowledge, guidance, and feedback response.
- Participate in the creation of training materials, guidance documents, and other communication materials.
- Assist in developing and implementing communication plans for key stakeholders.
- Support the process and procedure development to ensure effective program management and prioritization of reporting initiatives.
- Support the management of user acceptance testing (UAT) and Quality Assurance (QA) projects for OGC-related systems.
- Facilitate the interface between technology organizations and OGC, ensuring development and reporting efforts meet business needs.
- Aid in developing business cases for new requests, contributing to creating project proposals and statements of work.
- Assist in providing technical assistance and training to staff as required.
- Contribute to the identification and remediation of gaps in OGC-related systems.
- Liaise with field-based special education support staff, providing professional development as required.
Qualification Requirements:
Minimum
- A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
Plus
- Ability to solve organizational roadblocks.
- Project management experience and problem-solving skills related to gathering, organizing, analyzing, and presenting data.
- Ability to organize facts and present information and figures in a clear, concise and logical manner, both orally and in writing to a variety of constituencies.
- Superior spoken and written communication skills, with the ability to differentiate to various audiences.
- In addition to meeting the minimum requirements, individuals must have two additional years of relevant work experience.
Preferred
- Strong aspiration to utilize advanced analytical methods to eliminate bureaucratic waste and simplify byzantine protocols.
- Motivated to lead in a high-impact role within data analysis and systems analytics.
- Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment as part of the newly formed Office of Systems and Analytics (OSA), aiming to drive significant government efficiency and responsiveness improvements.
- Possess a degree in a quantitative research field (economics, sociology, psychology, etc.).
- Proficient in the following software: Python, R, SQL, Provalis Research, Visual Studio, Microsoft Power Platform, Adobe Acrobat, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word.
- Ability to use independent judgment; identify key issues and risks, manage and administer large-scale initiatives, and engage leaders.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
- Expert knowledge of statistical software such as SPSS or STATA.
- Expert knowledge of ATS, SESIS, STARS, FAMIS, Galaxy, and other NYCPS systems.
- Superior ability to make written and spoken presentations clearly and concisely.
- Demonstrated success in developing and implementing data collection applications using Microsoft Power Apps.
- Strong understanding of special education processes and familiarity with New York State Special Education laws, policies, and practices.
- Ability to develop concise and powerful research/data summaries and presentations.
- Highly efficient with the ability to conceive and manage strategic and tactical plans.
- Strong analytical skills combined with the ability to develop thoughtful and creative approaches for addressing a wide range of analytic questions.
- Knowledge of database functions, access, and maintenance
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide cross-section of internal staff and other end users.
- Ability to supervise and administer a program that is citywide in scope.
- Strong strategic thinking and project management skills. Attentive to detail.
- Experience or working knowledge of the public sector and/or demonstrated interest in public education.
Salary: $126,000- $130,500
(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.
NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.
* New York City Residency is NOT Required *
We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.
