A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

This posting is with the Philadelphia Office of Children and Families (OCF) Division of Performance Management and Technology (PMT). OCF supports Philadelphia’s most vulnerable children and families and prioritizes safe children, strong families, and supported schools. OCF administers several City-supported programs, including Out-of-School Time, WorkReady, Community Schools, and PHLpreK. OCF also oversees the Department of Human Services (DHS), which provides child welfare services, delinquent services, and child welfare prevention programs to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth at risk of abuse, neglect and delinquency.

The Division of Performance Management and Technology supports the core missions of OCF and DHS in the following ways:

• Evaluating service quality and consistency, identifying needed improvements, and tracking these improvements over time;
• Building a world class data and information technology infrastructure;
• Developing and maintaining integrated information systems and data analytics so that practitioners can easily access and utilize quality and accurate data in their day-to-day decisions;
• Strengthening how the child welfare system utilizes data to make informed decisions about the children and families we serve; and

Conducting short- and long-term research to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and system-wide initiatives in order to continually inform child welfare policy and practice.

The Data and Evaluation Associate’s primary responsibilities are to: 1) support the design of rigorous mixed methods program and agency evaluations (integrating qualitative and quantitative data); 2) help design and administer program evaluation tools that measure program compliance and quality; 3) monitor programs’ quality and compliance; 4) analyze administrative, compliance, and quality data; 5) design, test, and administer stakeholder surveys; and 6) assist in creating recommendations to OCF leadership and other stakeholders regarding improving program quality and compliance. The role will primarily support OCF’s Early Childhood Education portfolio, which includes PHLpreK—the City’s free pre-kindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-old Philadelphia residents, regardless of family income, and OCF’s Out of School Time Initiatives. The Associate will report to a Data and Evaluation manager.

Essential Functions

• Support the design and implementation of research and evaluation projects that advance program and system performance improvements.
• Clean, manage, and integrate data from key system sources to produce short and long-term outcome analyses. Key data sources include but are not limited to case file reviews, program narratives, program observations, surveys, and administrative data on enrollment, attendance, invoicing, and activities.
• Manage tools to track data and research assignments, ensure transparency of assignments and knowledge sharing, and track the timely progress and completion of data and research projects.
• Support development of qualitative data collection tools and processes for OCF programs, such as case file review tools, observation protocols, surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Develop and implement project scopes, in partnership with Project Coaches and supervisor, that outline research questions, population(s) of interest, deliverables, staffing, and achievement of targeted outcomes and timelines.
• Support convenings of OCF and service provider leadership to gather feedback on evaluation initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with PMT team members to ensure quality implementation of performance management activities and processes.
• Draft project reports, briefs, and/or presentations for system leaders and stakeholders using clear, concise language.
• Generate graphs, tables, and other data visuals.
• Assist in survey design, administration, and analysis.
• Ensure data project requirements are achieved in a timely fashion.
• Perform related research, evaluation, and supervision duties as assigned.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrate knowledge of and experience with mixed methods research design and data analyses.
• Demonstrate analytical and presentation skills, strategic thinking, and high professional ethics.
• Demonstrate effective communication and project management skills, such as, conflict/issue resolution, the ability to manage a project, and the ability to ensure a successful project lifecycle.
• Demonstrate self-leadership by remaining engaged and contributing perspective while accepting project priorities set by divisional and programmatic leadership
• Communicate (verbally and in writing) effectively with stakeholders participating in this project.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, leadership, associates, outside consultants and vendors.
• Demonstrate experience with leading multiple, simultaneous data projects and with delivering such projects by the agreed deadline.
• Know personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and limits.
• Reflective and seeks feedback.
• Exceptional cultural competency and proficiency.

Qualitative:

• Ability to support evaluation and monitoring tool development, including conducting literature reviews for existing tools and using stakeholder input to update existing tools
• Prior experience conducting interviews, focus groups, and observations
• Prior experience analyzing qualitative data, including coding interviews, focus groups, and observations and conducting document reviews

Quantitative:

• Knowledge of statistical and survey software such as R, STATA, SPSS etc.
• Knowledge of basic statistics including descriptive, exploratory, and inferential statistics.
• Prior experience creating basic data visualizations such as charts and tables.
• Knowledge of survey design, programming, and administration 

General:

• Knowledge of program evaluation and outcomes measurement 
• Strong research, analysis, and writing skills
• Clear and concise communication of ideas, program scopes, and findings – orally and in writing
• Ability to problem solve and identify several courses of action to make informed decisions about project development and implementation
• Ability to maintain strong working relationships with coworkers, OCF leadership, and service providers
• Ability to work on multiple projects at once while still meeting project deadlines
• Ability to quickly pivot to emergent tasks and project needs
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including data analysis tools like Excel and/or Open Source tools
• Experience with short and long-term research design and analysis and the delivery of research products for lay/practitioner audiences.

Education and Experience:

• Master’s Degree in Social Policy, Government Administration, and/or other relevant Social Science
• At least 2 years of data analytics and cleaning, programming, research and evaluation design, and/or other related experience- (inclusive of projects pursued and completed during higher education)
• Existing knowledge of early childhood education policies preferred

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, references and resume.

Salary Range: $47,754 - $71,631

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx