Geospatial Data and Evaluation Manager

Job Description

In CEO’s work, client and neighborhood-level data helps us tell the story of what we do. It deepens our perspective on the communities we serve.

And it holds our organization accountable for both short- and long-term goals. On a weekly basis, we use geospatial data in support of grant applications, internal and external evaluation initiatives, and to support ongoing programming and reporting efforts.

Changing research and changing demographics in Philadelphia neighborhoods mean we need regularly updated pictures of what economic opportunities are available where within our city.

We also need maps of where these opportunities are missing.

This position will be responsible for many of these efforts, with a special focus on mapping and describing geospatial data.

A successful candidate will quickly be able to accurately contextualize CEO programs within their neighborhoods. Eventually, helping to bring stronger and better targeted programming to the communities in Philadelphia who have most need of empowerment and opportunity.

By producing a better, more granular picture, the Geospatial and Statistical Analysis Manager will help better distribute resources and economic opportunity across Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.

Reporting to the Director of Research and Evaluation, the Geospatial and Statistical Analysis Manager will lead the organization’s geospatial data collection and mapping related to all evaluation tasks.

Using the full suite of online and desktop Esri products, as well as other data analysis tools for tabular data : the Evaluation Manager will produce maps and analysis that communicate clearly about both the need for and impact of our ongoing work.

The Manager will need to be comfortable working with a wide array of spatial and non-spatial administrative data, using both programming tools, visualization platforms, and excel to deliver quantitative findings.

Their analysis will support honing CEO’s strategy, promoting our policy advocacy work, contributing to winning grant applications, and improving ongoing program implementation.

The Geospatial and Statistical Analysis Manager will be the office expert on data workflows that feature geocoding and / or spatial joins.

They will also leverage publicly available data sources such as census data. The manager will advise and support internal and external program evaluation.

Often, the Manager will lead research efforts to provide geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic context, thus supporting applications, memos, and reports.

The Manager will contribute both analysis and writing to evaluation plans, study design, and outcomes measurement for individual programs.

The Research and Evaluation team has multiple staff, each bringing different methodological and subject area expertise. This position will help lead the team’s geospatial data analysis and support other quantitative research methods with their coding and data analysis skills.

All members of the team will be charged with producing rigorous, reproducible insights about CEO programing and Philadelphia as a whole.

In this case, this means a mix of coded tabular data workflows and carefully documented map design tasks. Some degree of coding experience is required in addition to a background in Geospatial analysis and mapping.

Esri products are preferred, but substitute experience with R packages like ggplot2, Python packages like geopandas, QGIS, and related tools will also be considered.

For statistical analysis, the expectation is that the applicant will have extensive data management skills. The manager will take full ownership of a fully programmed and reproducible Extract Transform Load (ETL) process, delivered alongside rigorous descriptive and exploratory data analysis.

For this work, open-source tools (like Python or R) are preferred, but users who have experience with other scripted programs ( Stata) will be considered, provided they are willing to learn new programing languages.

In addition to geospatial and statistical analysis, this position will help manage and support external evaluation relationships.

This includes cleaning and delivering administrative datasets, giving feedback on consultants’ deliverables, and negotiating and complying with data use agreements.

If a candidate can show experience in these areas as well as their geospatial background, that’s a plus. That said, program evaluation skills are less essential to have on day one, compared to the geospatial capabilities described above.

Essential Functions

Quantitative Data Methods

• Design and implement Extract Transform Load (ETL) procedures for geospatial data from both publicly available sources and city administrative data sets
• Organizing, storing, and analyzing organizational data
• Query, analyze and prepare statistics on spatial and non-spatial data using ArcGIS, Excel, and scripted workflows
• Support and implement the application of statistical tests and regression models
• Review literature and identify best practices to inform the development of analytic approaches
• Build automated workflows for high-quality data visualizations
• Complete metadata documentation of datasets and data processes.

Communication To Facilitate Data Sharing

• Facilitate the maintenance and governance of data from all departments
• Make reports and data output available to contracts, fiscal, management, and executive staff members to inform relationship management, policy, and resource allocation.
• Provide support for departments and staff using data and outreach platforms
• Create and maintain web map applications published via ArcGIS Online / Portal.
• Manage external evaluation relationships
• Support integrations with the city’s
• Establishing data sharing rules and reporting expectations for partners, including writing and modifying Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)’s that govern that govern these collaborations

Expanding Research Capacity

• Lead group and one-on-one training workshops to introduce data management skills
• Create and facilitate training for other staff on mapping and data visualization best practices
• Establish and maintain strong relationships across City departments and external partners to support program reporting and delivery
• Other duties as assigned

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Driven by thoughtful, quality, and detail-oriented processes, project output, and client / team interactions.
• Demonstrates ability to manage projects, estimate timelines, rework a project approach based on unforeseen challenges, work well under pressure, and set / meet reasonable deadlines.
• Values protecting clients’ private information, understands relevant privacy laws, and has ability to faithfully implement related security policies.
• Ability to explain technical concepts to general audiences, explain the logic behind research decisions, craft compelling narratives about data, write and speak clearly, and cultivate effective communication among team members.
• Ability to work with a variety of people and personalities, listen and ask questions to identify new inquiry opportunities, and cultivate strong relationships to ensure seamless collaboration and continued project support.
• Ability to see opportunities, navigate barriers, be self-directed, and problem-solve solutions that enhance the City’s deliverables, processes, and practices.
• Understands the relationship between data and narrative and acts strategically to ensure that data and evaluation are appropriately informing and being informed by narrative.
• Eagerness to both communicate data-driven insights with diverse audiences, including low-income clients, community-based organizations, elected officials’ staff, faith communities, students, volunteers and the general public.
• Familiarity of research concepts like sample size, measures of variance and uncertainty, and the differences between descriptive and causal analysis.

Qualifications

• Required : Proficiency with at least one statistical programming language.Experience with open source languages like R / Python preferred
• Required : Proficiency with at least one geospatial mapping toolEsri products like ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro preferred
• Experience working in social services, economic mobility, or a related field preferred
• Understanding and interest in connection between data, evaluation, and public policy
• Experience managing projects, particularly projects that require collaboration across different groups or teams.
• Ability to perform geospatial visualization and analysis
• Experience developing data visualizations consistent with the principles of inclusive design
• Experience working with large, relational datasets preferred.
• Experience in data management and cleaning best practices.
• Familiarity with applied research designs including program evaluation
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to demonstrate flexibility and exercise the authority of the position with sound judgment.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None initially, but as assigned

Other Specialties, Certifications, Physical Requirements, and Work Conditions

Regular, predictable attendance is required. Our team is currently hybrid with both virtual and in-office days, however the position can opt to come in the office each day if desired.

If the city changes policy on this, the new hire will have to comply with the new policy, including up to 5 days a week in-office.

• This position operates in an office setting and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines
• Exertion of physical strength to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 10 pounds. Work involves sitting most of the time.

Walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties

• Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire
30+ days ago