Research and Data Policy Analyst - Performance Audit

Description

Position Summary

Why It's a Great Opportunity

As an accomplished analyst with a strong background in public policy and research, you will perform complex research and data analysis, program evaluation, and performance analysis in support of the Council and the Performance Audit Committee. You will present findings and recommendations to the Council and its committees, and the Performance Audit Committee.

The Policy Analyst is a non-partisan position and serves the Pierce County Council under the management of a Principal Policy Analyst.

Why It's a Great Organization

The Pierce County Council is the legislative branch of Pierce County government and is the policy-determining body of the County, as provided by the County Charter. The County's Home Rule Charter, approved by voters in November 1980, separated executive and legislative duties by establishing a County Executive and a seven-member County Council. Members of the Council are elected from seven contiguous and equally populated districts. Each member of the Council is elected to a four-year term.

Learn more about the Pierce County Council here.

How To Be Successful In The Role

We are looking for someone who understands, synthesizes, and summarizes complex information in a manner that can be easily conveyed to others, has strong listening and speaking skills, and is able to effectively work with elected officials, members of the public, public agencies, and other units of government on variety of policy and fiscal issues. Strong analytical and communication skills are essential. You should be familiar with the role of county government, the legislative process, and legislative bodies; and will be public service focused and solutions oriented.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Include

• Strong knowledge of, and skills to apply, principles and best practices of research, performance measurement, and program evaluation.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate the economic, political, and social impacts of legislative actions.
• Competence in econometrics, statistics, or data science for causal modeling and policy analysis.
• Communication skills to present technical, financial and policy information in an objective and nonpartisan tone, including data visualizations and presentations, to a wide range of internal and external audiences.
• Competency in researching, analyzing, and interpreting federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Establishes and maintains effective and nonpartisan working relationships with Councilmembers, Council staff, County departments, and the general public.
• Strong time management and organizational skills to prioritize work and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency with a variety of computer programs and software for:
• Data analysis such as Python and R
• Data dashboards such as Tableau, PowerBI, or ArcGIS
• General office such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint; Zoom; Adobe Acrobat.
  
  

Core Daily Responsibilities

• Assist with the design, development and production of performance audits, special studies and related evaluations of the operations, policies and impacts of any county program, agency or fund as authorized by the Performance Audit Committee.
• Identify and apply appropriate methodologies for analysis. Gather and analyze information to support the analysis phases of studies.
• Use software and data analytical tools to acquire, evaluate, extract, and process data from a wide range of sources. Build out infrastructure to handle regular data inputs and outputs.
• Ability to produce, analyze, and present complex spreadsheets, models, forecasts, and cost calculations.
• Serve as a liaison with County departments as subject matter experts to collect data and create reports.
• Serve the needs of the Performance Audit Committee and the Council impartially and on a nonpartisan basis, ensuring their work is independent, unbiased, and balanced. Maintain a reputation of nonpartisan and ethical behavior in all professional interactions.
• Work effectively with information technology partners and outside consultants to assist with data collection, analysis, and storage.
• Prepare reports of findings and present findings to the Performance Audit Committee, Council, its committees, and other public meetings.
• Research and conduct analyses of issues to support Council priorities and initiatives, including the development of data-driven performance measures, benchmarks, and public facing dashboards.
• Serve as a Council liaison to communicate with other data analysts and performance audit/program evaluation staff at the federal, state and local level.
  
  

Qualifications

MINIMUM QAUALIFICATIONS:

• Any equivalent combination of education and experience which clearly indicates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Submit a Resume and a Cover Letter clearly demonstrating how you meet or exceed qualifications for this role.
• Bachelors' degree from an accredited institution involving major study in public policy, law, political science, government, public administration, or related field, or a discipline that correlates with one or more of the Council’s standing policy committees.
• Four years of progressively responsible experience working in the public sector in the area of public policy development and analysis; including research of policy, legislation, strategic planning, and implementation systems, and monitoring of results through accountability report cards and/or other data-driven methods.
  
  

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

To Be Considered For This Opportunity Please

• Complete and submit an online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or go to: www.piercecountywa.org/jobs.
• **Submit a current resume and cover letter.
• If you have a question about this opportunity, please email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and specify the Job Number and Title.
• If you do not have internet access, you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing process or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at (253) 798-7480, at least two days prior to the need.
  
  

This is a competitive selection process. Your application form will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education/experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include written, oral and performance examinations, and final interviews.

At Pierce County, diversity, equity, and inclusion means commitment, not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit, develop, and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives, committed to our vision. Employees of the County have local, direct, and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a great place to live, work, and raise a family?