Rarefied talent in data science, data technology, and analytics

Chief Data Officer

Legal Services Corporation

Job Description

ABOUT LSC:

 

Established by Congress in 1974, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the country’s single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC currently funds 132 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations with more than 800 offices throughout the nation. LSC’s mission is to promote equal access to justice and provide grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans.

 

BASIC FUNCTION:

 

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) manages and leads the Office of Data Governance and Analysis, a department that plays a critical role in supporting LSC’s mission. The office collects and analyzes data from LSC’s grantees and other sources and conducts research to maximize the quality and effectiveness of the civil legal service LSC’s grantees provide. LSC administers the nation’s largest repository of data about the delivery of civil legal services to low-income people and is looked to by other funders, courts, academics, and researchers for comprehensive and reliable information. The CDO plays an important role in supporting LSC’s strategic plan. The CDO reports to the Vice President for Grants Management. This position is responsible, in coordination with other LSC offices, for all agency data tracking, analysis, and reporting. The position is located in Washington, DC, but will be performed remotely until the pandemic subsides.

 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

  1. Leads, manages, and coordinates the activities of the Office of Data Governance and Analysis (ODGA) team, including setting goals, planning research projects, developing and implementing research and data analysis protocols, and carrying out research and analysis. Drives the creation of the annual ODGA research and office plan that responds to and anticipates LSC’s data and research needs.
  2.  Leads and manages ODGA staff. Coordinates personnel matters in partnership with the Office of Human Resources, including recruiting and hiring employees, onboarding, professional development and training, designation of work assignments, review of performance plans, and implementation of performance evaluations. Ensures that LSC’s personnel policies are consistently applied to ODGA staff.  
  3. Champions a culture of data and evidence-based decision making through leading the development of analytical products and services.
  4. Establishes standards, protocols, and governance for LSC data. Identifies potential issues in how data are captured, manipulated, and stored that have an impact on the quality or suitability of the data. Coordinates with LSC’s Office of Information Technology in developing updated grantee reporting protocols.
  5. Develops and oversees a range of data-related functions, including data management, data standardization, data quality and integrity, data strategies, data analytics, and data visualizations.
  6. Leads the design of all research methodology; performs qualitative and quantitative analyses for reports, studies, and other ODGA products and publications.
  7. Provides superior customer service to internal and external stakeholders, including, but not limited to, working with the Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs to address their data needs including research and data for the annual congressional budget request and management memo to LSC’s board of directors regarding budget requests, responding in real-time to requests for information from congressional offices and the media, and providing updated data and research on relevant issues; collaborating closely with the Offices of Program Performance (OPP) and Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) to identify and use data to enhance grantee performance and oversight, including the development of mapping for oversight visits, preparing visualizations, participating in the OPP/OCE data needs working groups, and responding to ongoing OPP/OCE data requests; coordinating all information technology needs with the Office of Information Technology; responding to requests made by the Executive Office and LSC’s board of directors; and working cooperatively with other internal and external stakeholders to ensure data is available to users in the right format and at the right time.
  8. Collaborates with the Executive Office and the Office of Institutional Advancement on privately funded research and evaluation initiatives.
  9. Simplifies and synthesizes complex research, statistics, and policy issues and converts academic literature into accessible, policy-relevant documents.
  10. Develops and communicates technical and research findings, orally and through written analyses and graphic presentations.
  11. Performs research and provides data and analyses on LSC funding and policy-related issues, including census adjustments, migrant funding, and periodic surveys of grantees.
  12. Builds collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  13. Tracks and implements relevant best practices in data collection and analysis in other fields.
  14. Promotes inclusiveness and diversity within LSC.
  15. Develops and manages the ODGA budget.
  16. Performs other related duties as assigned.

 

 

 

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

 

General:

Outstanding leadership and management skills with the ability to develop and lead a high performing team; fosters and promotes teamwork and builds consensus around a cohesive research agenda; a pragmatic understanding of the use of data to improve operational efficiency, decision-making, and the quality-of-service delivery; must demonstrate initiative and be an effective problem-solver with ability to make sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; excellent customer-service focus; demonstrates accuracy, attention to detail, and thoroughness and monitors work to ensure quality; superior project management skills; ability to systematically organize and catalog data and information; adaptable and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously and adjust to shifting and changing priorities under tight deadlines; extensive experience communicating quantitative concepts to non-quantitative audiences; excellent written communication skills with demonstrated ability to produce professional, well-written work product that requires minimal editing; ability to use graphic and other visual tools to communicate the significance of data findings to diverse audiences; excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to effectively reach broad and diverse audiences – including staff, grantees, and other funders; solid critical thinking skills; strong commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion; able to fairly and equitably apply LSC personnel policies; unimpeachable integrity and personal ethics; understands and is committed to LSC’s mission, functions, and operations; identifies and understands trends that affect access to legal services for low-income persons.

 

Technical/Specialized:

A master’s degree and a minimum of ten years of experience related to public policy research and quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including a minimum of five years of leading and managing data and analytics teams. Proven quantitative, qualitative, and analytic skills. Extensive experience conducting research and/or policy analysis on issues related to poverty and income inequality, Significant experience conducting trend analyses on large data sets and designing and implementing surveys; a demonstrated expertise in quantitative research methods and significant experience applying quantitative methods; knowledge of Bureau of the Census datasets. Substantial knowledge of data warehousing. Familiarity with or a background in the provision of civil legal services desired but not required. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and Word, and prior experience using or familiarity with R, Python, SPSS, Tableau, and ArcGIS. Familiarity with APIs and interacting with cloud-based computing environments such as Amazon Web Services.

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

 

Salary: $166,699

Salary Range: $166,699 - $187,758

 

LSC has a competitive market-based salary structure that establishes a specific salary range for this position. The salary range has eight pay levels separated by seven steps. A new employee will be hired at Step 1 and must wait two years to advance to each of the next three steps (Steps 2 through 4), and one year to advance to each of the next four steps (Steps 5 through 8).

 

Excellent benefits package.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

 

Submit a complete application (provide ALL of the information requested and answer ALL of the questions) and attach a résumé and cover letter explaining why you are a good fit for this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Apply directly on our website at: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/careers.


If reasonable accommodation in the application process is required, please notify OHR at jobs@lsc.gov.

 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT:

 

We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our differences fuel excellence, and we strive to create an environment where every individual is valued and feels empowered to bring their full, authentic self to work. We are building a community rooted in openness and trust where colleagues have the resources to grow, thrive and fully contribute to achieving equal access to justice.

 

LSC is an equal opportunity employer.

 

Interested in this position?
Job Location
3333 K St. NW
Washington DC
Additional Job Details
Employment Type:
Full Time

Salary range:
$150,000 – $200,000