Vice President and Director of Education Analytics & Technical Services

The Vice President and Director of Education Analytics, Technical Services, and Product Development is a full-time leadership position within Strada Education Foundation (Strada) responsible for leading the Institute’s state education analytics, technical services and product development agenda in partnership with the Senior Vice President of Employer Engagement and Executive Director of the Institute (SVP-EE) and the Vice President-Director of Research. This role reports directly to the SVP-EE. 

The role will involve working directly with state partners to help them use their data to understand education-to-employment pathways, including analyzing supply-demand dynamics, skills, occupational outcomes, and related topics. Additionally, the VP-Institute will develop internal data structures for analyzing education and labor market data to answer practice and policy questions. They will use this data for internal and external research including refining a national supply-demand model for Strada’s signature product the State Opportunity Index, and spearheading data innovation efforts to help states and employers with policy and practice. The tools developed by the Institute will be used on the ground by states, regional partners, and employers and should be applied to inform real change in practice, policy, and planning.

The Institute will develop actionable data analytics and products to strengthen workforce competitiveness for employers and pathways to opportunity for individuals. Key audiences include employers, policymakers, and state agency leaders (including LMI, research, and data system leaders). 

The VP-Institute must be a creative leader who understands the important connections between data, research, and policy and can translate complex analyses into clear, actionable insights. The leader should have a robust understanding of the education-to-employment landscape and its challenges and opportunities. The VP-Institute should have a strong background in quantitative research, data visualization and communications, strategic partnerships, and team management. 

The successful candidate must be based in Strada’s Washington, D.C. regional hub with a hybrid work schedule that requires at least two days per week in the office.

Context

In late 2022, Strada adopted an ambitious North Star – to collaborate with learners, educators, employers, and policymakers across the U.S. to bring to life a postsecondary education and training ecosystem that provides equitable pathways to opportunity – as well as a comprehensive strategic plan to achieve it. Five areas of emphasis (strategic pillars) have been identified, and operational plans for specific initiatives that will help the field advance have been developed, aligned with the five pillars.

Strada supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education or training (PSET). Our strategic plan (2023-2026) focuses on five pillars: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordable PSET, work-based learning, and employer alignment. We work with partners in education and training, nonprofit organizations, industry, startups, and public policy. We leverage strategic philanthropy, investments, research, communications, policy solutions, and nonprofit subsidiaries as tools to help advance equitable pathways to opportunity. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.

Key Responsibilities

The VP-Institute has five core responsibility areas, listed below with approximate time required.

Area 1: State Technical Assistance (50%)

• Collaborate with states to use data to understand education-to-employment outcomes.
• Develop high-quality, scalable data models, analyses, visualizations, dashboards and tools that inform policy and practice activities for states, regions, and institutions. 
• Lead projects on talent supply-demand, major-to-occupation pathways, education-to-occupation crosswalks, skills analyses, and credential quality.
• Document best practices and strategies for scaling data work across states and regions.
• Work with states to develop internal education to employment analysis capacity. The Virginia Office of Education Economics is one example of this in practice.

Area 2: Strada Data Management and Analysis (15%)

• Develop internal capacity for education and labor market data analysis at Strada.
• Work with internal stakeholders to create or identify existent technology structures for data use.
• Acquire data for analysis including government and proprietary data.
• Conduct national data analyses to inform Strada signature products such as the State Opportunity Index. 
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of a national talent supply-demand model. 

Area 3: Innovative Projects (15%)

• Lead efforts to innovate in the education to employment data analytics space, leveraging AI and other technologies, e.g. identifying new ways to look at pathways into work and matching talent with jobs. For example, projects could focus on job placement, skills, curriculum innovation, etc.
• Work closely with Strada’s strategic investment teams to identify and develop research and data partnerships with innovative companies in the field including companies in the Strada investment portfolio.
• Collaborate with Strada’s Data Ecosystem Team and the PSEO Coalition to support projects that deliver education-to-employment data to key stakeholder groups.

Area 4: Lead Direct Reports and Third-Party Consultants, and Support DEI (10%)

• Build and continuously coach a team of direct reports to deliver on the mission and project-manage initiatives and strategic activities (3 team members over the next 2 years).
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities, including assigning and directing work of staff and contractors (if applicable), evaluating performance, and delivering timely and constructive feedback, in accordance with policies and applicable laws. Oversee staff workloads and assignments. Provide professional development and coaching, to initiative staff, and to other colleagues, where applicable.
• Work in close alignment and connect the Institute team to pillar teams and others across Strada.
• Manage day-to-day Institute activities.
• Support an inclusive workplace culture through actively engaging in the diversity, equity, and inclusion learning agenda within the organization.
• Partner with Human Resources and the DEI leadership to support policies and programs that attract, promote, develop, and retain underrepresented talent in the workforce, inclusive of multiple dimensions of diversity.
• Incorporate principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion into research design, research topic selection, analysis, and writing.

Area 5: Represent Strada externally and share research widely (10%)

• Seek opportunities to share the Institute’s work across Strada, including helping to ensure that our insights are infused across Strada’s work.
• Represent Strada in relevant external contexts, with a focus on sharing the Institute’s work products with stakeholders in the field.

The Person: Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Advanced degree in economics, education, public policy and/or another relevant field required; doctoral degree in labor economics, public policy, education and/or another relevant field preferred.
• At least 15 years of data analytics experience and five years of experience managing teams and projects. 
• Strong experience developing actionable research focused on strengthening the linkages between education/training and employment.
• Experience with state and national data sets.
• Experience with labor market data including government and proprietary sources.
• Knowledge of policies and practices that improve the alignment of education and training with workforce demands, employment pathways, higher education, workforce development, and state policy.
• Experience leading at least one public-facing data product that includes the integration of data from various sources and high-quality visualizations for key audiences.
• Excellent organizational skills: demonstrated ability to prioritize work and manage time on multiple projects and tasks to meet deadlines.
• Strong writing and editing skills: demonstrated ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely for public audiences. Preference for visualization skills or interest.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively: track record of being a motivated, enthusiastic team player open to feedback and collaboration.
• Curiosity, eagerness, and ability to develop new knowledge and skills.
• Preferred: Working knowledge of equity-based practices in research (e.g. disaggregating data, participatory methods in research, system-level change theories, etc.).

Travel Requirements: The VP-Institute will provide leadership and represent Strada in varied settings across the country. It is likely the role will naturally entail some travel for conferences and other meetings up to 10-15%.

Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.

Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.

Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.

Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.

Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.

Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions.