Data and Evaluation Specialist

Employer: First 5 Monterey County

Title: Data and Evaluation Specialist

Status: This is a regular, full-time, exempt position.

Classification: Program Officer 1

Pay Range: $69,487.88 - $88,686.09 structured within a 6-step scale that accounts for experience and qualifications. The starting salary is dependent on qualifications. The starting step will be at a Step 2, which is $72,962.26.

Reports To: Director of Evaluation & Learning

Direct Reports: N/A

Location: This position is based in Salinas, California, with the potential for a hybrid work schedule. The specific hybrid arrangement can be discussed and tailored based on individual and team needs and requires work in the Salinas office (at least 50% of the time) as well as regular travel throughout Monterey County and occasional out-of-county travel.

Schedule: Regular business hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

ABOUT US:

First 5 Monterey County provides funding for and works in partnership with local organizations that serve young children to provide direct services to primarily Medi-Cal families. These organizations are contracted with First 5 Monterey to provide early childhood-focused services by building trusting relationships with families, co-creating shared care plans, conducting screenings and assessments, sharing health educational resources, and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to support families to reach their goals related to the health and wellness of their children and family. Through these services, we aim to address social determinants of health, reduce health disparities, make connections to mental and physical health care, and support our families to thrive.

First 5 Monterey County (F5MC) is committed to fostering a positive, inclusive, and respectful

workplace. We value equity, trust, healing, connection, and prevention. We are all individuals who embody these values and contribute to a thriving work environment.

POSITION SUMMARY:

First 5 Monterey County (F5MC) envisions that all children reach their unique potential in a family and community that values, respects and invests in early childhood. The Data and Research Specialist (“Specialist”) partners with F5MC staff and funded agencies to collect, monitor, and analyze program and community-level data to advance this vision. The Specialist manages F5MC’s case management database and supports F5MC and partner agency staff in accessing the information they need to provide high quality services. This role supports the capacity of F5MC and partner agency staff to use data to maintain and improve program quality.

The Specialist is a direct report and key collaborator to the Director of Evaluation and Learning. Together as the Evaluation Team, the Specialist and Director of Evaluation support F5MC in understanding the overall contribution of F5MC funding on the well being of Monterey County children prenatal to five and their families. The Evaluation Team also monitors trends in countywide data on the well being of children prenatal to five and provides insights to support F5MC’s strategic decision making.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Database Management and Support (30%)

• Maintain shared database system, providing technical assistance and guiding system improvements when needed to ensure quality and consistency of data.

• Develop trainings for staff and funded partners, as needed, for supporting data collection, data entry and making meaning of data.

• Write and maintain protocols to support staff and partners in using the data system as intended.

• Provide technical assistance to staff and partners on protocols for data entry and optimal use of database.

• Regularly reflect and act to improve the efficiency and utility of the monitoring system, instruments, tools, and processes.

• Understand and follow privacy and security protocols for the collection, storage, and sharing of client protected health information. This includes compliance with HIPAA and other Medi-Cal guidelines for protecting client health information.

• Support the development of contracts, informed consent, and data sharing agreements.

Data Cleaning, Analysis, and Reporting (30%)

• Manage collection, analysis, and regular reporting of administrative data for F5MC and its partner agency staff.

• Analyze program data and ensure accurate and timely submission of data and reports to meet state and funder requirements.

• Use logic to create complex reports in F5MC’s database and to compile and synthesize information across spreadsheets.

• Implement ongoing continuous quality improvement with F5MC staff and Funded Partners to reflect on findings, synthesize lessons learned, and guide actions.

F5MC's Theory of Change Evaluation (20%):

• Support the design of studies and data collection instruments to evaluate F5MC’s Theory of Change.

• Support data collection as needed.

• Enter, clean, validate, and maintain quantitative and qualitative datasets

• Create data analysis plans and analyze results

• Ensure evaluation activities and tools meet legal, ethical, and contractual standards and requirements.

• Create reports as needed to present evaluation results to F5MC’s Commission, staff, and Funded Partners.

Collaboration and Professional Growth (15%):

• Engage in professional learning opportunities to advance understanding of equitable evaluation and systems change measurement.

• Develop relationships with external evaluators and F5MC’s Commission, Evaluation Advisory Committee, staff, and Funded Partners to advance the work.

• Collaborate with community and other organizations in Monterey County to develop and track metrics for child and family well-being.

• Compile data from publicly available datasets (e.g., American Community Survey) to to track countywide progress for children and families and elevate the importance of early childhood among various stakeholders.

• Work with the F5MC staff to share learning and information about early childhood in ways that facilitate reflection and are valuable to internal and external audiences.

Other Responsibilities (5%):

• Support the Commission’s Evaluation Advisory Committee as well as other ad hoc committees. This includes coordinating with the Director of Evaluation and Learning on the activities of the Committee and the agendas for the meetings. Prepare and provide staff reports, conduct research and coordinate presentations.

• Represent F5MC on relevant external committees, work groups and at conferences/meetings.

• Support the Director of Evaluation in developing budgets and departmental work plans.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong logic and critical thinking skills

• Experience structuring, cleaning, and manipulating datasets using advanced formulas and queries

• Expertise in using tools like Excel or other data analysis software to clean, manipulate, and analyze data

• Experience completing research and/or evaluation project(s) from start to finish (including developing the research/evaluation questions, designing the study, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting results)

• Ability to serve as the internal lead for F5MC’s database systems, including case management and home visiting management systems

• Experience writing protocols and training others on how to implement protocols. For example, developing data collection and data entry protocols or training someone to use new software

• Ability to adhere to privacy and security protocols for protecting client data

• Strong project management skills with the ability to create order from ambiguity, manage and prioritize multiple tasks, and assign tasks to others as needed

• Deep commitment to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to provide training and present reports and recommendations to individuals, groups, and public bodies that do not have experience in data or statistics

• Bilingual in English and Spanish with the ability to provide training and technical assistance in Spanish.

• Proficiency in the Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Background in public health, child development, family systems, program evaluation, or related field

• Knowledge of Monterey County’s communities and relevant systems

• Experience configuring a customizable database (e.g., Bonterra’s Apricot Case Management software, Salesforce)

• Experience creating dashboards (in any software e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau, etc)

• Experience with mapping or spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS, R)

• Experience with qualitative data analysis

• Knowledge of HIPAA requirements for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and security of Protected Health Information

• Experience providing technical assistance, training, or capacity building to staff or partner organizations

• Experience using Asana or other project management software

EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, & TRAINING:

Any combination of work experience, education, and training that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. This may include a Bachelor’s Degree and three years of experience in data analysis, program evaluation, research, or performance measurement in a public, nonprofit, or private sector organization; or a Master’s Degree in a related field with relevant coursework or experience.

AGENCY REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel independently within Monterey County to attend meetings as needed.

• Documented eligibility to work in the United States.

• Full-time availability during F5MC’s business hours, which are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Flexibility may be required for events or to meet project deadlines, including occasional evening or weekend work. Employees will be expected to be onsite for key meetings and collaborative work while having the flexibility to work from home on other days

AGENCY EXPECTATION: It is expected that as a staff person for First 5 Monterey County you will:

• Embrace Collaboration: Actively seek input from colleagues, value diverse perspectives, and work effectively as part of a team.

• Demonstrate Empathy: Understand and respond to the needs and feelings of others, fostering positive relationships and a supportive work environment.

• Practice Effective Communication: Communicate clearly, concisely, and respectfully, both verbally and in writing.

• Maintain a Positive Attitude: Approach challenges with a positive mindset and a willingness to reach a collaborative solution approach.

• Respect Others: Treat colleagues with dignity and respect, avoiding any form of bullying, harassment, or discriminatory behavior.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Vacation leave, paid sick leave, and 9 paid holidays
• December 25–31 office closure (paid)
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 7% employer retirement contribution
• Bilingual pay allowance (if applicable)

First 5 Monterey is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in any unlawful manner, including on any basis protected by federal, California, or local law.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $72,962.26 - $88,686.09 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $69,488 - $88,686