Director, State Data Initiatives

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Oversee designated policy domains and state interactions within Coleridge’s state portfolio.

• Evaluate state agency priorities, institutional contexts, data capacities, and readiness for collaboration on administrative data.

• Provide guidance to state partners on cross-agency cooperation, data governance and stewardship, evidence-building priorities, and the utilization of administrative data.

• Utilize knowledge of state decision-making, budget and procurement processes, interagency dynamics, and policy landscapes to tackle implementation challenges.

• Facilitate meaningful discussions with agency leaders, program personnel, data stewards, researchers, legal advisors, and technical teams.

• Collaborate with the Vice President to establish domain priorities and identify opportunities for partnerships, applied research, and cross-state learning.

• Act as the project leader for specific state engagements, guiding them from scoping and initiation through to implementation and closure.

• Define project objectives, outcomes, workstreams, acceptance criteria, work plans, resource requirements, and responsibilities.

• Lead the substantive efforts of project teams, consultants, and subject matter experts.

• Partner with project management staff on schedules, task tracking, dependencies, budget oversight, risks, and reporting.

• Track project and domain progress, address substantive and partner issues, evaluate scope changes, and escalate decisions when necessary.

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for state engagements and coordinate complex agency-level matters.

• Utilize partner feedback and engagement results to enhance technical assistance and delivery methods.

• Support training initiatives and other research outputs.

• Identify and evaluate new state opportunities alongside the Vice President and other team members.

• Contribute expertise to proposals, scopes of work, technical methodologies, pricing assumptions, and contract renewals.

• Foster relationships with state leaders and cross-sector collaborators.

• Represent Coleridge at conferences, working groups, and partner gatherings.

• Assist in creating presentations, written materials, convening themes, agendas, speakers, and peer-learning opportunities.

⛳️ Requirements

• 7–10 years of pertinent experience in state government, administrative data initiatives such as Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) or P20W integrated data efforts, public policy, applied research, technical assistance, or public-sector program enhancement, including leadership of complex state engagements.

• Proven substantive experience working within or closely with state government agencies on administrative data initiatives is required; prior employment in a state agency is highly preferred.

• Comprehensive understanding of state agency operations, including decision-making frameworks, interagency coordination, budget and procurement procedures, and policy and implementation limitations.

• Significant subject matter expertise in at least one relevant policy area, such as K–12 education, postsecondary education, workforce development, human services, corrections, or economic mobility.

• Experience in assisting agencies to develop or implement cross-agency data collaborations, governance strategies, readiness evaluations, learning agendas, data use agreements, or evidence-building projects.

• Familiarity with how administrative data is gathered, managed, linked, and utilized.

• Demonstrated experience as project or engagement lead for complex state initiatives, including accountability for substantive approaches, multidisciplinary team leadership, partner relationships, deliverable quality, scope, timelines, and budgets.

• Experience coordinating consultants, subject matter experts, and diverse project contributors.

• Strong skills in facilitation, presentation, relationship management, and communication.

• Ability to convey complex data, governance, and policy issues to varied audiences.

• Advanced degree preferred, or a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field along with an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

• Familiarity with secure data environments, restricted-use data, privacy-preserving research workflows, dashboards, or data visualization is preferred.

• Preference for candidates located on the East Coast.

• Some travel may be necessary.

• Availability for work scheduled on weekdays, weekends, and evenings.

🏝️ Benefits

• Remote-based position.

• Opportunities/requirements for some travel.

• Equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.