ABOUT THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD (DC PCSB)

Every day, we’re doing the work to ensure that 44,000 public charter school students, families, and communities receive [SC4] a quality education that makes them feel valued and prepared for lifelong learning, fulfilling careers, and economic security. DC PCSB is an independent agency of the District of Columbia government. Our mission, vision, values, and work are rooted in the principles of REDI (Race, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).

DC PCSB is looking for a Director of Data to lead our agency’s Data Analytics and Data Engineering teams. This is a new role!  Historically, analytical and engineering teams functioned independently; the Director of Data will lead the merged data and product contributors as a single, cohesive unit. 
 

The Director of Data will help our agency transition from being data-focused to data-centric. They will set the direction for our data operations, aligning with the organization's Strategic Roadmap and REDI Commitments (Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) by establishing a comprehensive data project and product management strategy within an agile framework.

The Director of Data will be instrumental in leading the change management of our data operations, from overseeing the implementation and finalization of the data infrastructure for DC PCSB’s newly approved accountability framework, ASPIRE, to leading the rollout of our new business intelligence tool, Tableau, and driving strategic feature adoption in our G2N web application.  They will serve as the data messenger and guardian on our senior leadership team and will need to translate complex technical work for non-technical leaders to ensure alignment across the organization.

Who you will work with

• You will report to the Chief Operating Officer.
• As a member of our senior leadership team, you will serve as the ‘voice of data’ in our strategic and operations planning. You will work closely with the DC PCSB executive leadership team and program teams that focus on school accountability, expansion, compliance, and finance.
• You will be responsible for the data, systems, and product engineers, as well as the product/project managers or contractors that support data outputs.
• You will engage with key stakeholders like our Board, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, public charter schools’ leadership and data teams, and the public.

Responsibilities

As the Director of Data at DC PCSB, you will be the agency leader of:

1. Data Strategy
   1. Collaborate with DC PCSB’s executive leaders to develop enduring data strategies that improve and advance DC PCSB’s data initiatives, including the integration and optimization of the Data Analytics and Data Engineering teams. 
   2. Provide strategic direction and clear prioritization to data analysts, engineers, and product developers as they build, maintain, and scale data infrastructure and processes.
   3. Be the voice of data as the executive leadership team sets strategic priorities. Articulate how organizational decisions, pivots, or priorities impact data operations, team capacity, and trade-offs. Ensure that the leadership team has a clear line of sight on data products and outputs for the industry.
2. People Management for Data and Engineering Staff
   1. Lead a team of direct reports (~3 FTEs) who lead cross-functional teams that include both FTEs and contractors (~10-15 engineers)
   2. Manage the leaders of the analytics and engineering teams, helping them deliver on the organization’s data goals. Leverage extensive people leadership, project and product management experience to coach and direct these teams.
   3. Determine and attend to technical and adaptive staffing needs in alignment with the DC PCSB talent philosophy (e.g. delegation, performance improvement, training, and career development) 
3. Data Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement
   1. Communicate technical capacity and organizational goals to DC PCSB’s executive leadership, translating complex technical jargon into simple language to ensure alignment across the organization.
   2. Translate organizational priorities into data priorities for the implementation teams, and provide clear and concise priorities to ensure successful execution of analyses, systems engineering, and data products.
   3. Have a business-focused mindset, deeply understanding what drives our users and external factors, and leverage that information to guide DC PCSB’s leadership. Promote a data-anchored culture to guide the design and implementation of data products, validate outcomes, drive insights, and manage data operations both tactically and strategically.  Proactively engage end-users to make connections, understand sector needs, and provide insight into DC PCSB’s data vision and approach.

Qualifications

To be exceptional in this role, you need experience:

1. Building and scaling data systems using the Python ecosystem, including ETL processes and pipelines, and complex data analyses. 
2. Defining standards for data governance, quality assurance, data standards for reliability and accuracy, sharing and partnerships, and products/tooling and working across functional teams to implement them.
3. Identifying connections between organizational and data priorities, and communicating clearly about decisions, implications, and trade-offs.
4. Managing direct reports and building a culture of collaboration across functional teams – including scoping, alignment, and prioritization. 
5. Communicating effectively about complex data systems, analyses, and products with nontechnical team members and stakeholders.
6. Assessing and translating technical challenges and possibilities required to facilitate organizational strategy, policies, and practices.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3 years of management experience with at least 3 or more direct reports
• 5 years of experience in a data-centric environment
• Experience working and scaling ETL and business intelligence tools
• Experience in developing user-centric design strategies that put end-users first in product decisions
• Ability to work collaboratively and cross-functionally, being innovatively disruptive
• Must express comfort and willingness to discuss, learn, and implement REDI framework, using it to build relationships, navigate conversations, and support the Mission, Vision, and Values of DC PCSB.

We’d also love it if you have:

• Experience with higher education and/or K12 education data
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or Project Management Professional (PMP)
• 4 years in technical agile project and product management
• Experience working with two or more of DC PCSB’s technical stack (i.e., Apache Airflow, AWS RDS, AWS S3, Python, SQL (PostgreSQL), Tableau)

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