Director of Data Management and Survey Programming

WHO WE ARE: At Fors Marsh, we take on issues that matter. We are a team of researchers, advisors, and communicators working together to shape the systems that shape our lives. We look at human behavior from all angles to design targeted solutions that influence decision-making and move people to action. We are committed to the problem, not just the project, and we are intentional about taking on work and forming partnerships that balance purpose, people, planet, and profit. We are a certified B Corporation, a Just employer, and a 2019-2024 Top Workplace. We hold ourselves accountable to the values that have always defined us. And those values drive us to be the best possible versions of ourselves-for each other, our communities, our clients, and the world.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Fors Marsh is seeking an intelligent and motivated individual to serve as our Director of Data Management and Survey Programming. This individual will report to the Senior Director of the Survey Analytics, Logistics, and Techniques (SALT) division within Fors Marsh and will work closely with Fors Marsh leaders within SALT and across other practice areas and divisions to lead execution of end-to-end survey processes for Fors Marsh’s clients. This individual’s primary responsibility will be to oversee a team of data management analysts and survey programmers who are tasked with programming and testing survey instruments, providing clean datasets for sampling, file creation, data collection, and final recoding of data files used for weighting, analysis, and reporting. The role will focus on data integrity, data security, data cleanliness, timely delivery of files, and the ability to recode and manipulate data in a manner that meets specific project goals and requirements. The Director of Data Management and Survey Programming will be responsible for project management, team development, process and procedure development, maintenance and improvements, and final quality control of all team deliverables. This job is best suited for an individual who has experience leading robust survey programming and data management tasks on large federal survey projects, is detail-oriented, is familiar with contemporary Federal security requirements and processes for surveys and primary data collection, and has strong data and people management skills.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading a team that is responsible for programming and testing survey instruments for data collection, cleaning and recoding data sets and sample frames used for research and evaluation projects, and delivery of error-free final deliverables across many concurrent projects in a timely and accurate manner.
• Collaborating with clients and internal research and analysis teams to obtain detailed understanding of the survey questionnaire and data requirements necessary for survey implementation, data collection, and sampling, weighting and analysis of the data.
• Organizing team task assignments and designing project workflows with appropriate quality control checkpoints built in for manager and senior analyst review.
• Providing leadership and decision-making when data issues or ambiguities are identified and working closely with project teams and/or clients to recommend and execute corrective action.
• Ensuring data integrity and compliance with required standards by creating, maintaining, and enforcing program testing, data set creation, and quality control procedures for all survey instrument and data set development tasks.
• Training and mentoring staff in proper data handling techniques, syntax creation, quality control procedures and documentation, safe PII handling, and problem solving required for working with large, complex data sets.
• Providing support for business development and proposal development, including writing support for technical approach and management plans and consultation for labor hours and other direct cost estimates.
• Handling competing managerial, project management, and quality control demands while maintaining excellent attention to detail and serving as a positive role model and mentor for staff.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in statistics, business analytics, survey research, data science, or related field.
• At least 10 years of professional experience working on survey programming and data management tasks for large-scale primary data collection projects.
• At least 2 years of supervisory experience, including experience leading a team, cultivating a productive work environment and culture, and developing team members through coaching,