Program Operations Analyst

WA MESA seeks a highly talented and industrious individual interested in being a part of a small, team-oriented, collaborative staff to help us achieve our ambitious goal. The Data Analyst will report directly to the Executive Director and work in close collaboration with the Director for K-14 STEM Education to deliver understandable, actionable, and compelling insights derived from MESA Center reports on current research and best practices in STEM education. The Data Analyst will evaluate the efficacy of the program, and its impact on women and underrepresented minorities in STEM as they prepare for and move through the MESA program.

The Data Analyst will be an imaginative and energetic individual with a proven record of progressively responsible experience mining data, identifying success metrics, developing, and maintaining analytic templates, and providing technical support.

Although WA MESA oversees "decentralized" centers with offices located at other higher education institutions connected by subcontracts, the Data Analyst’s role is to evaluate WA MESA programs from a statewide organization perspective. He/She will not direct the work of the center directors but will ensure WA MESA program fidelity across centers. In partnership with the State Board of Community and Technical College Research and Evaluation staff, the Data Analyst will collaborate and assist with reporting MCCP success in meeting intended success goals. 

The principal investigator is the Provost of the UW and his delegate to the organization is the Vice President and University Diversity Officer. The Data Analyst will serve as a principal investigator for WA MESA. The Data Analyst will interact and collaborate with 6 – 12 and MCCP directors to evaluate the WA MESA pathway programs. The position requires the use of sound judgment and a thorough understanding of research, evaluation, and data analysis. The position requires a complete understanding and development of the landscape of higher education that is specific to historically underrepresented student populations. The position requires excellent communication skills and the ability to engage policymakers to pursue interest and commitment to institutionalizing the MESA 6 -16 pathway model in Washington.

In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must apply through the University of Washington’s Human Resource Portal.

The salary range is $5,500 to $8,250. 

Desired – Education, work experience: Describe education and/or work experience beyond the minimums that would be ‘desirable’ but not required to satisfactorily perform the position’s duties and responsibilities.

• Strong knowledge of statistical concepts, with technical skills to manage and transform data.
• Experience creating data visualizations designed for impact and understanding.
• Demonstrated experience providing training and technical assistance to stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills and comfort presenting data.
• Demonstrated success working with underrepresented populations and strong cultural competence.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills and a proven track record of cultivating relationships and gaining buy-in from colleagues and stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate client relationships, and skill at applying an equity lens when considering program needs.
• Ability to design, develop, test, and document systems, products, and materials.

Specify the type of experience required:

• Three (3) years of work experience in system support and analysis, or research and evaluation, or data/business analysis or similar role.
• Proficiency with research and data tools such as R, Python, SAS, etc. and skilled in the integrated use of Access, Tableau, Excel, and/or Query Analyzer, or another platform.
• Experience designing data collection tools such as surveys, interview guides, checklists, observation and focus groups templates, etc.

Duties & Responsibilities: (Identify the percent time spent on each major duty, listed in decreasing order of importance. The total job duties must equal 100% regardless of position’s % FTE. )

Data Systems Management – 35%

• Work in tandem with the high-capacity consultant group contracted to develop the WA MESA program database management and tracking system. 
• Provide oversight for the collection, compiling, analyzing, and reporting of MESA data.
• Create data reports that are visually appealing and easily digestible for a broad array of internal and external stakeholders.
• Analyze information to identify trends, patterns, gaps, and opportunities using descriptive analytics.
• Develop scorecards to easily translate strategy into objectives and performance indicators.
• Queary data to address special informational requests as the direction of the Executive Director.
• Develop business processes and protocols to manage data, including coordinating system upgrades and maintaining documentation for implementation of system changes.
• Partners and collaborates with WA state Education Research and Data Center (ERDC), the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), school districts, 6 -12 and MCCP Directors to ensure that analytics and program data is collected accurately, routinely and updated quarterly by 6 -14 Directors and/or designated staff. 

Technical Support – 30%

• Cultivates an organization-wide culture of evaluation, efficacy, learning, and continuous improvement. 
• Implements quarterly reports – ensuring that, on a quarterly basis, programming and marketing data is updated and highlights are shared by 6 – 12 and MCCP directors.
• Partners and collaborates with 6 -12 and MCCP programs to make recommendations to improve program impact tracking across the organization.
• Partners with OMAD Advancement, Communications, and Institutional Research to ensure that impact findings inform WA MESA marketing and communications efforts. 

Research, Evaluation, and Reporting – 30% 

• Conducts programmatic and organization-wide evaluations.
• Research trends in STEM literacy, awareness, identity, and career-connected learning.
• Develops and maintains research partnerships with external evaluators and research institutions. 
• Creates story and data-driven reports that integrate impact evaluation and illuminate key findings to power communications in print, online, social media and improve program design.