Senior Data Analyst

Founded in 2015, the School and State Finance Project (schoolstatefinance.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy organization, focused on education funding and state finance issues, with a commitment to providing independent analysis, building public knowledge, improving transparency, and developing fair, sustainable solutions. 

The goals of the School and State Finance Project are to:

• Serve as an independent and trustworthy source of high-quality research and analysis about Connecticut’s education finance policies and state budget;
• Improve transparency around Connecticut’s education and state finances by providing access to timely, accurate, and easy-to-understand data and information;
  
• Build public knowledge about Connecticut’s finances, budget, and economy, and elevate conversations about how to strengthen the state’s fiscal health;
• Increase awareness about Connecticut’s education finance system and the need for an equitable, unified funding formula that treats all students fairly and strengthens schools and communities;
• Develop thoughtful, data-driven solutions that address Connecticut’s education funding and state finance challenges by working collaboratively with state and local policymakers, community groups and leaders, and other key stakeholders;
• Provide technical assistance to partner organizations seeking to solve education finance-related challenges.
  

Although not a member-based organization, the School and State Finance Project actively works with a diverse group of stakeholders and communities across Connecticut.

The School and State Finance Project aims to serve as a trusted resource for state and local policymakers, school district officials, community leaders, and all people looking for transparent, accessible, and approachable information about education funding and state finance. The School and State Finance Project also aims to provide strategic, analytical, and operational support in collaboration with public sector and public interest organizations to advance organizational missions and improve the
delivery of public services.

The School and State Finance Project is a fiscally-sponsored organization of TSNE (tsne.org).

Reporting to the Deputy Executive Director for Data, Policy, and Special Projects, the Senior Data Analyst will research and help develop policy proposals that advance the Project’s goal of creating a more equitable, transparent, and unified school finance system, and address the State of Connecticut’s longstanding state fiscal and budgetary challenges.

The ideal Senior Data Analyst will have outstanding quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, a familiarity with public finance and education policy, the ability to make complex information easily digestible to broad audiences, and proficiency in supporting analytical tools. The individual must be tactful and able to work with individuals and organizations who have diverse perspectives that may not always align. The Senior Data Analyst should be passionate about fixing how schools in Connecticut are funded and the structural issues at the heart of Connecticut’s fiscal picture.

Specific job responsibilities include:

• Leading quantitative and qualitative analyses to develop an effective and efficient school finance policy solution that could be successfully implemented in Connecticut;
• Working in collaboration with members of the organization’s Data and Policy teams to manage research projects from end to end, including: developing research questions and e-signs, collecting and cleaning data, analyzing data, analyzing policy, surfacing best practices, and presenting findings through written reports, presentations, web tools, and data visualizations;
• Maintaining internal data systems containing state education, economic, fiscal and budgetary data series for use in research and policy efforts;
• Executing and communicating well-defined analyses in an independent manner;
• Documenting tasks, methods, data, and findings to a high level of precision, and ensuring accuracy and efficiency in all work;
• Collaborating with external stakeholders on research and analysis to further organizational reach; 
• Provide analytical support to help nonprofit, governmental, and partners achieve their mission and goals by participating in organizational consulting work.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

• Candidates must hold a graduate degree in public policy, economics, business administration, statistics, or a related field from an accredited university, and must have at least two years of experience in an environment related to public policy;
• Expertise in public policy, public finance, or education policy;
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative policy analysis;
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to communicate complex, technical information to non-expert audiences;
• Commitment to credible and independent policy research and analysis, and attention to detail and accuracy;
• Expert Microsoft Excel/PowerPoint skills;
• Experience with data analysis and visualization tools & languages such as R (proficient, independent coding), Python, Tableau, Shiny, or Leaflet;
• Experience with cloud storage and computing solutions; 
• Strong organizational, and data management skills;
• Ability to multi-task and work in a challenging, fast paced, and evolving environment;
• Independent, highly organized, and detail-oriented self-starter;
• Energetic, hard-working, and enthusiastic team player;
• Ability to be tactful and diplomatic in challenging situations;
• An optimistic outlook and ability to move past challenges;
• Valid driver’s license and access to car; ability and willingness to travel throughout Connecticut.
• Sense of humor!

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. The School and State Finance Project is currently working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Talk, hear and see in the normal range with or without correction;
• Handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Move, Traverse; sit; reach; occasionally Ascend/Descend, and position self (to), move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

TSNE/School and State Finance Project envisions a society grounded in the principles of social and economic justice. As such, we strive to achieve excellence through a diverse and inclusive workplace that honors the unique talents and lived experiences of each person. Our vision and values are reflected in all our employment-related decisions, including hiring practices. Accordingly, TSNE actively seeks people who bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to join us in our work.

As an EOE/AA employer, TSNE/School and State Finance Project will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, veteran or disability status or any other factor prohibited by law.