Vice President and Director of Education Analytics & Technical Services - Strada Education Foundation

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.

Key Responsibilities

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Lead efforts to innovate in the education to employment data analytics space, leveraging AI and other technologies.
• Work closely with Strada’s strategic investment teams to identify and develop research and data partnerships with innovative companies in the field.
• Collaborate with Strada’s Data Ecosystem Team and the PSEO Coalition to support projects that deliver education-to-employment data to key stakeholder groups.

• Build and continuously coach a team of direct reports to deliver on the mission and project-manage initiatives and strategic activities.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities, including assigning and directing work of staff and contractors, evaluating performance, and delivering timely and constructive feedback.
• 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.

• Seek opportunities to share the Institute’s work across Strada.
• Represent Strada in relevant external contexts, with a focus on sharing the Institute’s work products with stakeholders in the field.

• Education: Advanced degree in economics, education, public policy and/or another relevant field required; doctoral degree 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.
• 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 and demonstrated ability to prioritize work and manage time on multiple projects.
• Strong writing and editing skills with a preference for visualization skills or interest.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively.

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

Mission and Values Alignment: Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers.

Strategy and Innovation Leadership: Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization.

Execution and Operations Leadership: Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps.

DEI Commitment: Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within an organization.

Relationship Building and Collaborative Capabilities: Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive relationships at all levels of an organization.