|
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
|
|
POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
|
|
Position Number: 50703176 |
Description Activated On: 1/29/2026 11:00:37 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. The Associate Director of Information and Strategic Analysis serves a member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) team and works closely with the Chief Postsecondary Officer of Information and Strategic Analysis to support the Board’s external engagement and internal analytic capacity relating to higher education policy and supporting data needs. |
|
Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. • Conduct policy analysis, research and information gathering to inform and support Board priorities and strategic plan implementation regarding data collection and analysis. • Produce research reports and analysis aligned to the information needs of the State Board of Education, the Board’s Data Committee, and requests from the General Assembly, the Governor’s office, and other critical internal stakeholders. • Research and develop strategies to address the Commonwealth’s and external stakeholder’s needs for data to support decision-making. • Liaise with executive and cabinet-level staff at higher education institutions, professional associations (i.e., the State Higher Education Executive Officers’ (SHEEO), Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Pennsylvania State Workforce Board), and government agencies and officials. • Lead and coordinate multiple high-profile projects that involve the collection and analysis of large-scale national and state-level databases (i.e., Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Student Clearinghouse, State Higher Education Finance (SHEF), etc.), which can contain hundreds of data elements and millions of cases. • Develop accompanying online interactive visualizations, which includes developing, tracking, and monitoring internal deadlines, external and internal stakeholder engagement, assessing staffing gaps, and communicating with consultants and other project leads. • Develop and lead internal and external stakeholder engagement around large projects (e.g., set up and run meetings, develop presentations, solicit and analyze stakeholder feedback, etc.). • Prepare reports, presentations, analyses, and agendas for meetings with college presidents, senior staff, senior government officials, and Board members relying on data. • Lead and support externally facing communications, including regularly updating online resources and personalized institutional reports, • Monitor, report, and respond to inquiries about higher education policy issues with relevant data sets and context; fielding inquiries from high level staff at higher educational institutions, funders, and advocacy groups. • Offer technical support to public and state-related institutions who are required to submit student-level data to PDE’s new postsecondary data system. • Develop tools that alert PDE/SBHE about institutions at risk of closing due to financial instability. • Collect and synthesize state and regional workforce data from L&I and other sources to support SBHE’s broad strategic goals and assist institutions with externally supported projects. • Develop analyses of student-level data for annual compliance (i.e., SHEEO’s State Higher Education Finance; Stairs/Snyder reports) and ad-hoc reporting (i.e., SHEEO’s Strong Foundations). • Initiate outreach to national organizations to learn about best practices and opportunities to join inter-state data sharing agreements (e.g., Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes). • Develop and annually update metrics identified by SBHE and used to measure progress toward its strategic goals. • Prepare reports, plan updates, policy briefs, white papers, technical documents, and related accessible materials for Board members, committees, senior leadership and external stakeholders. • Provide executive-level staff support for the Board, Executive Director, and Chief Postsecondary Officer of Information and Strategic Analysis. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. This position will develop proposals that guide assessment of the broader SBHE strategic plan, guide key internal and external relationships, and help the SBHE meet project management goals, in some cases legislatively imposed. This position will execute against critical goals, duties and tasks relating to data. The Associate Director will decide how to track and communicate progress on a weekly basis, and will be charged with seeking out and obtaining guidance and expertise as needed. · Ensure alignment of work activities with the Chief Officer and Executive Director in support of Board priorities. · Carry out essential duties, exercising the ability to work independently and collaboratively in team settings to identify opportunities, apply expertise, and execute assignments in a timely manner. · Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to assigned and anticipated tasks. · Utilize professional judgment and problem solving to manage projects and assignments. · Navigate complex issues with professionalism, maintaining clear communication with leadership, and advancing SBHE priorities. · Recommend actions and strategies to leadership and effectively implement approved initiatives and tasks. · Effectively communicate with executive-level internal and external stakeholders. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: • Proficiency with statistical software packages (Stata preferred) and advanced statistical methods, such as regression analysis, causal inference, or predictive modeling. • Proficiency with mapping software, such as PowerBI or ESRI ArcGIS. Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. N/A 5. N/A 6. N/A |
||||||||||||||||||||
Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
|