LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

Location: Little Rock, AR 72201
Anticipated starting salary: $58,700–$115,632

About the role

The Legislative Research Analyst is a mid-level position that works under the direct supervision of the Policy Analysis and Research Administrator. This role provides accurate and clear policy research and analysis for members of the General Assembly and legislative committees. The position is responsible for modeling, managing, and analyzing education finance data used for the Educational Adequacy Study and various ad hoc reports. This involves full life-cycle management of expenditure and statistical data for over 250 school districts and 1,000+ schools, utilizing specialized business intelligence and database tools. The ideal candidate is curious, data-driven, and has a strong orientation for problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Conduct policy research and analysis for members of the General Assembly, legislative committees, and Bureau staff.
• Extract and compile financial or statistical data for use in formulating program proposals.
• Provide information and assistance regarding policy research issues to members of the General Assembly, state agency staff, and Bureau staff.
• Prepare and deliver presentations concerning policy research and analysis to legislative committees and other groups.
• Work with other divisions in the Bureau to provide research support for legislative projects.
• Identify and develop working relationships with appropriate sources in state agencies to obtain requested information and data.
• Develop and maintain expertise in assigned subject matter areas, including monitoring national policies, policy trends in other states, news items, and emerging developments.
• Perform in-state travel as needed to gather data and monitor legislative committee meetings related to assigned subject matter areas.
• Contribute to the biennial education adequacy study, including written reports and oral presentations to the House and Senate Education Committees.
• Perform occasional out-of-state travel to seminars or conferences.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned.

Data Management and ETL

• Load expenditure data and statistical/demographic data from the Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) State Data Warehouse into the BLR SQL Server database.
• Load data from other external sources as required.
• Utilize Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) / Visual Studio Designer to perform ETL tasks, including establishing data flows between input files (typically comma-separated delimited files) and database tables.
• Execute SQL statements for data updates and computations within the Visual Studio environment.

Business Intelligence and Reporting

• Serve as the primary user of the COGNOS suite of software.
• Develop data models using IBM COGNOS Framework Manager, create database and/or other views, and publish packages for use in other COGNOS tools.
• Design, build, and publish dimensional data structures (Cubes) for analytical and reporting purposes using IBM COGNOS Transformer Services, incorporating various demographic dimensions.
• Ensure access to structured, modeled, and high-quality data.
• Support reporting requests of legislative members and Bureau staff.
• Utilize Excel and other data tools to prepare and communicate data.

Documentation and Process Management

• Document analytical processes, data sources, and report logic to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
• Collaborate with IT staff and vendors regarding software installation, deployment, operation, maintenance, and backup of the database and dedicated server.
• Monitor changes to coding and reporting requirements.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in development and reporting, proactively implementing improvements to enhance operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Master’s degree preferred).
• Four years of experience with the Bureau as a Legislative Research Specialist or other relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience with data management, including collecting, cleaning, and preparing data for analysis.
• Experience organizing large volumes of current and historical data for efficient querying, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience with IBM COGNOS Analytics or equivalent program for reporting and administration.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and SQL sufficient to create, update, and maintain database tables, and execute queries and procedures.

Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) / Visual Studio for ETL package creation and maintenance.
• Strong working knowledge of IBM COGNOS Framework Manager or equivalent software for data modeling and package publication.
• Strong working knowledge of IBM COGNOS Transformer Services or equivalent software for creating dimensional data cubes.
• Ability to create and execute SQL stored procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to perform detailed demographic and financial calculations.
• High level of analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to apply these skills in various situations.
• Strong attention to detail with a focus on accuracy and quality.
• Effective problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Ability to work independently and identify potential barriers and strategies, providing timely communication.
• Ability to present data in a user-friendly format for a variety of audiences.
• Willingness to accept change and demonstrate flexibility.
• Knowledge of the legislative process and functions of state and federal agencies.
• Knowledge of objective research methodology and diverse information resources.
• Proficiency in Windows applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to extract and compile information from various sources.
• Ability to express research results in concise written or verbal form.
• Ability to organize and create data visualizations in chart, map, and table form for presentations and reports.
• Knowledge of and experience utilizing statistical, survey, and mapping programs.
• Ability to provide public presentations.
• Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with legislators and state administrators.
• Knowledge of laws and procedures related to the General Assembly.
• Ability to work with other section staff to produce cohesive reports, briefs, and memoranda.
• Strong communication skills with Bureau staff, state agency staff, members of the General Assembly, and the public.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of general governmental financial accounting principles through reporting or auditing experience.
• Advanced knowledge of SQL Pivot queries.
• Ability to design, build, and maintain interactive dashboards.

Pay

$58,700–$115,632 annually