JPD - Senior Data Analyst

Job Title:       Senior Data Analyst  
Grade:            22
Non-Union:
Salary: $109,309       

Job Summary
The Senior Data Analyst leads and supports the Department's efforts to strengthen organizational performance, accountability, and data-informed decision-making. The position is responsible for independently leading complex and time-sensitive data requests and overseeing the collection, extraction, organization, cleaning, validation, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of operational and program data to identify trends, monitor performance, evaluate outcomes, and provide meaningful information and recommendations to Department leadership and other stakeholders.

The Senior Data Analyst transforms complex and varied data into clear, actionable information through reports, data visualizations, performance measures, written analysis, and recommendations. The position exercises independent judgment in determining appropriate data sources, analytical approaches, methodologies, and reporting strategies and ensures the accuracy and integrity of information provided to Department leadership, the judiciary, government partners, service providers, and other authorized stakeholders.

The Senior Data Analyst supervises and develops Data Analysts and is responsible for assigning and prioritizing work, monitoring deadlines, reviewing analytical work products, establishing quality standards, and training and coaching staff in data extraction, report development, data cleaning and validation, analysis, visualization, performance measurement, and interpretation.

The position works collaboratively across Department divisions and with the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), Office of the Chief Judge Management Information Systems (OCJ MIS), Adult Probation, other court and County departments, and external partners to improve data quality, reconcile information across systems, establish consistent performance measures, support evaluation of Department initiatives, and strengthen the Department's capacity to use data for continuous improvement.

The position also leads and supports the continued development and improvement of data collection, reporting, quality assurance, and performance measurement processes as the Department's data infrastructure and analytical capabilities evolve.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Data Leadership & Supervision

1. Supervises the daily work of Data Analysts, including assigning and prioritizing work, establishing expectations and deadlines, reviewing work products, and providing ongoing guidance and feedback.
2. Trains, coaches, and develops Data Analysts in data extraction, querying, data cleaning, merging and validation, statistical and quantitative analysis, report development, performance measurement, visualization, and interpretation.
3. Reviews datasets, analyses, reports, dashboards, visualizations, and other work products prepared by Data Analysts to ensure accuracy, completeness, consistency, appropriate methodology, and clear interpretation prior to dissemination.
4. Establishes consistent processes, documentation requirements, and quality standards for Department data analysis and reporting.
5. Develops the capacity of Data Analysts to independently manage increasingly complex assignments and effectively communicate findings to Department leadership and stakeholders.
6. Provides technical guidance and serves as a resource to Department staff regarding the appropriate collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and use of data.
7. Promotes a culture of data integrity, accountability, continuous learning, and data-informed decision-making.

Data Analysis & Reporting

1. Independently collects, extracts, cleans, organizes, transforms, merges, validates, and analyzes data from Department case management systems, relational databases, spreadsheets, reports, and other available data sources.
2. Independently leads routine, complex, ad hoc, and time-sensitive data requests from Department leadership, the judiciary, OCJ leadership, government partners, service providers, funders, and other authorized stakeholders.
3. Determines appropriate data sources, measures, methodologies, and analytical approaches based upon the purpose and scope of each request.
4. Conducts descriptive, comparative, trend, outcome, caseload, workload, performance, and other analyses to identify trends, patterns, variations, disparities, anomalies, and areas requiring further examination.
5. Develops recurring and ad hoc reports to support operational management, strategic planning, program evaluation, quality improvement, policy development, budgeting, grants, and executive decision-making.
6. Translates complex quantitative information into clear tables, charts, visualizations, dashboards, summaries, presentations, and written narratives appropriate for technical and non-technical audiences.
7. Interprets analytical findings and develops clear conclusions, recommendations, and actionable information for Department leadership.
8. Responds effectively to requests requiring expedited turnaround while maintaining appropriate standards for accuracy, validation, confidentiality, documentation, and quality.
9. Clearly communicates data limitations, assumptions, definitions, methodologies, and other factors necessary for the appropriate interpretation of findings.

Performance Measurement

1. Leads and supports the development and maintenance of performance measures, indicators, benchmarks, outcome measures, and reporting processes used to monitor Department operations, service delivery, organizational performance, and youth outcomes.
2. Monitors organizational and program performance and identifies significant trends, changes, inconsistencies, or emerging issues requiring further review or leadership attention.
3. Partners with Department leadership and operational staff to define meaningful measures of performance, efficiency, quality, service delivery, and outcomes.
4. Leads and supports evaluation of Department programs, initiatives, policies, evidence-based practices, and implementation efforts.
5. Assists leadership in interpreting performance information and identifying opportunities for organizational and operational improvement.
6. Analyzes program utilization, referrals, caseloads, supervision practices, services, interventions, and youth outcomes as appropriate.
7. Provides data and analysis necessary to support grant applications and reporting, budget development, audits, compliance reviews, strategic priorities, and other Department requirements.

Data Quality & Integrity

1. Leads efforts to evaluate and improve the accuracy, completeness, consistency, reliability, and usability of data maintained within Department information systems and other data sources.
2. Conducts and oversees data-quality reviews and identifies missing, duplicate, inconsistent, inaccurate, or potentially unreliable information.
3. Investigates data-quality concerns and works collaboratively with operational staff, OCJ MIS, and other appropriate personnel to understand and resolve discrepancies and system-related issues.
4. Develops and implements standardized data definitions, documentation, validation processes, quality-control procedures, and reporting practices.
5. Develops, maintains, and oversees data dictionaries, reporting documentation, methodologies, query documentation, and other resources that promote consistent interpretation and use of Department data.
6. Recommends improvements to data collection, data entry, case management, validation, and reporting processes to strengthen data reliability and usability.
7. Identifies data limitations and ensures they are appropriately communicated when information is analyzed or disseminated.

Organizational Performance & Collaboration

1. Collaborates with identified staff and operational leadership to analyze information related to organizational performance and improvement priorities.
2. Provides data and analytical support for quality improvement activities, strategic initiatives, evidence-based practice implementation, program development, and other Department priorities.
3. Participates in and provides analytical leadership to cross-functional projects and workgroups requiring data analysis, performance measurement, research, or evaluation support.
4. Identifies data necessary to determine whether organizational initiatives are being implemented as intended and achieving desired results.
5. Supports development of a data-informed organizational culture by helping staff and leaders understand, interpret, and appropriately use performance information.
6. Prepares recommendations, executive summaries, reports, presentations, and briefing materials that translate complex information into actionable information for leadership decision-making.

Cross-System Data Collaboration

1. Collaborates with the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), OCJ MIS, Adult Probation, other OCJ departments, County agencies, and authorized external partners to support data collection, analysis, reporting, performance measurement, and system improvement.
2. Leads and coordinates cross-system data requests and works with partners to obtain and reconcile information maintained across multiple databases and information systems.
3. Works with internal and external partners to establish shared data definitions, reporting methodologies, quality standards, and consistent approaches to data interpretation when appropriate.
4. Participates in cross-departmental and interagency workgroups involving data, research, evaluation, performance measurement, and system improvement.
5. Supports authorized data-sharing activities and ensures appropriate confidentiality, security, data governance, and data-use requirements are maintained.
6. Serves as a Department data resource when collaborating with external researchers, universities, government agencies, providers, and other authorized organizations.

Data Systems & Continuous Improvement

1. Develops and maintains advanced spreadsheets, databases, queries, reporting tools, templates, dashboards, and other mechanisms necessary to support Department data analysis and reporting.
2. Oversees and identifies opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness of data collection, analysis, validation, visualization, and reporting.
3. Leads or assists with the implementation and effective use of new data visualization, reporting, analytical, and business intelligence tools as Department capabilities evolve.
4. Works with OCJ MIS and other appropriate personnel to identify opportunities to strengthen data systems and improve the Department's ability to obtain and analyze information.
5. Maintains current knowledge of emerging practices and technologies in data analysis, performance measurement, data visualization, data governance, program evaluation, and public-sector performance management.
6. Trains and supports Data Analysts and other appropriate Department staff in the effective use of analytical and reporting tools.

Judiciary & Stakeholder Reporting

1. Prepares and oversees the preparation of accurate, timely, accessible, and appropriately validated information for the judiciary, Department leadership, OCJ leadership, government partners, service providers, and other authorized stakeholders.
2. Develops reports, presentations, dashboards, and visualizations that communicate complex information effectively to audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge.
3. Presents data findings and responds to questions regarding methodology, findings, trends, limitations, and implications.
4. Works with Department leadership to ensure external reporting accurately and appropriately reflects Department operations, performance, priorities, and outcomes.
5. Provides technical guidance to Data Analysts in preparing information for executive, judicial, governmental, and external audiences.

Other Duties

1. Maintains confidentiality and safeguards sensitive youth, family, employee, court, operational, and organizational information.
2. Ensures compliance with applicable requirements regarding confidential court and juvenile justice information, data privacy, security, and authorized data use.
3. Participates in professional development and organizational learning activities related to data analytics, statistical methods, data visualization, performance measurement, supervision, juvenile justice, court administration, and emerging technology.
4. Remains current on research, analytical methods, and best practices relevant to juvenile justice and court administration.
5. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Advanced knowledge of quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics, data quality, performance measurement, program evaluation principles, and analytical methods.
2. Advanced skill in collecting, extracting, cleaning, transforming, merging, validating, analyzing, and interpreting complex data from multiple sources.
3. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including organizing and analyzing large datasets, formulas, pivot tables, data validation, reconciliation, and visualization.
4. Proficiency with statistical programming, database querying, or analytical tools such as SQL, R, Python, SPSS, SAS, or comparable platforms.
5. Knowledge of relational databases and the ability to write, review, and troubleshoot database queries.
6. Experience with data visualization and business intelligence tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or comparable platforms.
7. Ability to identify patterns, inconsistencies, trends, disparities, anomalies, and limitations and translate analytical findings into meaningful conclusions and recommendations.
8. Ability to understand complex operational and organizational questions and independently determine appropriate data, measures, methodologies, and analytical approaches to address them.
9. Ability to communicate complex data clearly through reports, tables, charts, dashboards, visualizations, presentations, and plain-language narratives.
10. Ability to independently manage complex, high-priority, and time-sensitive data requests from initial request through extraction, cleaning, analysis, quality review, interpretation, and final presentation.
11. Strong supervisory, coaching, training, and staff-development skills, including the ability to develop the technical and analytical competencies of Data Analysts.
12. Ability to review analytical work completed by others and identify methodological, data-quality, calculation, interpretation, or presentation concerns.
13. Strong critical-thinking, problem-solving, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills.
14. Ability to manage multiple priorities and short deadlines without compromising data accuracy, quality, or confidentiality.
15. Ability to collaborate effectively across operational divisions, departments, agencies, information systems, and professional disciplines.
16. Ability to prepare and present information to executive leadership, the judiciary, government partners, service providers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
17. Knowledge of data privacy, confidentiality, data governance, and the responsible handling of sensitive information.
18. Ability to exercise sound independent judgment and appropriately identify data findings, limitations, risks, or concerns requiring leadership attention.
19. Knowledge of courts, juvenile justice, criminal justice, government, human services, or other complex public-sector systems is preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Master's degree from an accredited college or university in criminology, public policy, or other related social science field.
2. Three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience involving data analysis, performance measurement, research, program evaluation, business intelligence, statistical analysis, reporting, or other closely related analytical work.
3. At least one (1) year of experience in statistical programming using SPSS, R, or Python, preferably with criminal justice or civil law data.
4. One (1) year of experience supervising professional staff, leading analytical projects, serving as a technical lead, providing formal training, coaching, or technical oversight to analytical or research professionals.
5. An equivalent combination of relevant education, professional training, and experience may be considered.
6. Primary residence in the State of Illinois within 90 days of the date of hire.
7. Pass a pre-employment medical exam, drug screen, and background check (LEADS and CANTS).
8. A negative result from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services child abuse registry.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Master’s degree in a quantitative, analytical, research-oriented, or related field.
2. Four (4) or more years of progressively responsible professional experience involving complex data analysis, research, program evaluation, performance measurement, business intelligence, or related analytical work.
3. Experience supervising, training, mentoring, or providing technical oversight to data, research, or other analytical professionals.
4. Experience using advanced analytical, database, statistical, reporting, or visualization tools to analyze complex data and communicate findings to leadership and other stakeholders.
5. Experience working with administrative, operational, programmatic, or performance data in government, courts, human services, juvenile justice, criminal justice, or another complex organizational environment.

Working Conditions / Physical Requirements

1. Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment with regular and prolonged use of computers and standard office equipment.
2. Requires prolonged periods of computer-based data analysis, validation, review, and reporting.
3. Requires frequent interaction and collaboration with Data Analysts, Department staff and leadership, OCJ MIS, JTDC, Adult Probation, judiciary personnel, and internal and external stakeholders.
4. Requires management of multiple assignments, changing priorities, and urgent or time-sensitive data and reporting requests.
5. Requires sustained attention to detail when reviewing, cleaning, analyzing, and validating large or complex datasets and reviewing the work of subordinate staff.
6. May require attendance at meetings or activities at various Department, County, court, or partner locations.
7. May occasionally require work outside regular business hours based upon urgent operational, leadership, or court-related data needs.
8. Requires the handling and safeguarding of confidential and sensitive youth, court, employee, organizational, and operational information.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications required.
Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities as needed to meet operational needs.

A writing and/or skills assessment may be required during the selection process.
This position requires pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check. Applicants are advised that as a Drug Free Workplace, use of medical or recreational marijuana is prohibited and will disqualify a candidate from employment. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all required screening criteria.

Information concerning the benefits for this position can be found at the Circuit Court of Cook County Employment Opportunities Page

Please apply by filling out the application at: https://illinoiscircuitcourtofcookcounty.applytojob.com/apply

THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF JUDGE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the policy of the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County to provide equal opportunity in employment to all employees and applicants for employment. No person is to be discriminated against in employment because of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

 

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