Senior Director, Research & Analytics

Company Description

Uncommon Schools  is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Job Description

As the team lead for Analytics, Research, and Business Intelligence functions, this person sets the overall strategy and ensures that the team has the right resources and systems to optimally deliver work products for schools, regions, and the Home Office! This role serves as the leader in using and disseminating org-wide data, insights, and sophisticated analytical modeling internally & externally. They will partner with senior leaders throughout the organization, focusing on driving insightful analysis, asking and answering key research questions, conducting exploratory analysis, and thinking partnership on the use of data with other functions. This role will also build and drive the agenda for a data mentorship program for Uncommon staff! The role is also intimately involved in creating presentations and communicating key findings that will inform decisions made by Uncommon’s senior leaders.

Vision, Leadership, and Management

• Own the annual planning process for the research and BI functions and supervise the implementation of that plan
• Drive the continued development and support of a strong team culture
• Serve as a partner for Head of Data & IT on the long-term vision for the function as well as the use of data across Uncommon
• Lead improvements of team processes with a focus on replicability and automation
• Own ongoing relationships & touchpoints with key multi-functional partners (e.g. Talent Strategy, Financial Management, Engineering, Data Governance)
• Strategize and partner alongside other senior leaders—executive team, SSLT, other team leads, regional leaders—on the use of org-wide data both multi-functionally as well as within individual functions
• Represent the team as needed for crucial internal (e.g., USI board) and external (e.g., funders) touchpoints
• Make high-stakes business rules and decisions for reporting & analysis
• Model Agile methodologies and ways of working for measuring efficiency
• Ensure all contracts for services and tools have required performance metrics and data ownership language to benefit Uncommon

Analytics & Research

• Approve final partnership product for high-stakes reporting and analysis (e.g.State Exam analysis)
• Serve as the go-to source of current and historical knowledge surrounding data reporting, data quality, data definitions, and data analysis for the organization (i.e., assist in navigating systems & documentation as needed)
• Interacts with data leaders across the sector regularly to identify & adopt standard methodologies at Uncommon and share the work Uncommon is doing with others
• Drive the completion of research and analyses throughout the year, including assigning project owners, detailing project tasks, naming timelines, tracking project status, and holding contributors accountable for delivery
• Support senior leaders in addressing strategic questions and advising decision making through the design, execution, and effective communication of meticulous data analyses

Data Center of Excellence

• Alongside IT Support, lead all aspects of development and automation of data requests processes and associated supports to increase access to data across the organization (e.g,. Knowledge Base, Data Portal)
• Own the development of our training program for data skills at Uncommon
• Become a go-to organizational resource with a demonstrable understanding of staff and student data from collection through reporting & analysis
• In partnership with the Data & IT Governance team, improve the overall quality of Uncommon’s data.
• Fulfill high-stakes ongoing and ad-hoc requests for key metrics and other data from both internal and external partners

Qualifications

• 7-9 years of directly related experience
• 6+ years leading a team of 5 or more
• 5+ years of consulting and/or data analysis experience
• 2+ years managing managers (preferred)
• Familiar with data