Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The mission of the Office of College and Career Success (OCCS) is to promote social and economic mobility among CPS students by building systems and providing support to increase the number of CPS graduates who earn postsecondary credentials and enter into fulfilling family-sustaining careers. OCCS works to ensure that all students develop critical postsecondary competencies, including academic and financial readiness for postsecondary pathways, career awareness and alignment, and foundational skills. Ultimately, every CPS senior will leverage these competencies to develop a concrete, personalized post-secondary plan to pave the way for their success in life after high school. OCCS consists of the following departments:

• School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising (OSCPA);
• Early College and Career Education (ECCE);
• Social-Emotional Learning (OSEL);
• Student Support and Engagement (OSSE);
• Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC);
• Sports Administration (OSA);
• Sustainable Community Schools (SCS)

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Data Manager, OCCS, the OCCS Data Strategist will support a portfolio of OCCS departments in the planning and implementation of data-driven strategies to support the continuous improvement of OCCS programs and services. This position will serve as a data content and process expert for assigned OCCS departments and collaborate with other OCCS data team members.

The Data Strategist for the Office of College and Career Success will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Support the development of strategic plan priorities, activities, goals, and metrics that will improve school culture and student college, career, and life skills.
• Support departments in the development and maintenance of metrics and measurements to monitor progress and determine the success of various district efforts and projects; assist with the creation of associated metric guides, explanatory materials, and supporting resources.
• Collaborate closely with department leaders to develop familiarity and expertise on departmental teams, programs, and operational strategy; utilize department expertise and data to provide input and guidance regarding strategic improvements and decision-making
• Provide departments with consultative support and guidance in the effective use of data to support strategic priorities
• Participate in department meetings, using data to facilitate a deeper understanding of department programs, awareness of school needs, and learning across departments
• Participate in the District’s Data Analyst User Group.
• Manage data dissemination to CO departments, networks, and schools in line with their operational and continuous improvement timelines.
• Manage large-scale projects requiring cross-departmental collaboration and oversight of external vendors/partners and lead overall project definition, solution identification, and implementation.
• Establish measures to determine the success of projects and ensure all targets and requirements are met.
• Perform analysis on large and complex datasets from multiple sources to provide meaningful information and inform strategic decision-making
• Conduct needs assessments, develop analytical frameworks and reports, train users, and manage ongoing tool usage.
• Serve as the department’s research expert
• Provide project management and data analysis support to ongoing operations within the department as appropriate (e.g., program evaluation, resource allocation, board report development).
• Fulfill internal data requests as required
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Data Strategist for the Office of College and Career Success must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required
• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in the fields of education, social science, public policy, non-profit management, or a related field preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience as a data analyst or data strategist in a role requiring relationship management, including the following, is required:

• Experience writing code with data analytic tools/software (SQL, SAS, R, SPSS, STATA, etc.)
• Experience writing code with data analytic tools (SAS, R, SPSS, STATA, etc.)
• Experience using data to drive critical conversations and continuous improvement among peer and non-peer colleague groups.
• Experience coordinating and delivering professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working in or with an urban education system with a focus on teaching and learning, social, emotional, and behavioral supports strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to use or learn SAS or SQL required;
• Knowledge of strategic planning and project management tools and process

• Expertise in a range of data analytic tools and statistical software, including advanced knowledge of Excel and Google Workspace (G Suite) applications

• Strong data visualization skills with the ability to clearly and accurately compile and organize findings
• Capable of success both working independently with general guidance and as a collaborative member of a team
• Ability to deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment, respond promptly to multiple constituencies, and meet established deadlines
• Ability to probe and derive the correct technical requirements from a non-technical customer for a particular data-related question
• Expertise in guiding the analysis of data and data-based inquiry to ensure improvement in professional practice.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups of professionals across multiple departments and organizations to achieve unified, consistent practices
• Skilled multitasker and excellent time manager; Ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge and expertise with Salesforce or the ability to quickly gain proficiency

• Adhere to a set of guiding principles for analytic practice as established by the Data Governance

• Ability and commitment to work with approved enterprise analytic tool sets (SAS or SQL)

Other Requirements:

• Access to reliable transportation to travel and transport materials to various sites within the city of Chicago is required

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

• Medical Plan Options
• Pharmacy
• Dental
• Vision
• Behavioral Health & EAP
• Employee Wellness Program

• Basic Life Insurance
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Pension Plans
• Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Spot Pet Insurance

• Paid Leave
• Sick Leave
• Vacation Days
• Parental Leaves
• Short-Term Disability
• Religious Holidays
• Leaves