Senior Data Strategist

About the role

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serves over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employs over 45,000 staff, most of whom are teachers. The district is focused on providing equitable resources and a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience for every student. The Planning and Data Management (PDM) office supports district and network managers, school principals, city agencies, and community‑based organizations with geographically‑based school planning services, including the Annual Regional Analysis, Attendance Boundary reviews, District Space Utilization, GIS Mapping, and Demographic analyses. Reporting to the Director of Demographics & Planning, the Senior Data Strategist will use data to drive progress toward district priorities, provide strategic analytic and project‑management expertise, help set district standards for data processes and toolsets, and conduct sophisticated analysis of public and confidential data to produce high‑quality GIS‑based maps and visualizations that guide district planning.

Posted Sep 9, 2026. Located at Central‑42 West Madison Street (Planning and Data Management). Non‑union, Grade S08.

Responsibilities

• Co‑manage the district’s demographic and enrollment data to support effective organizational decision‑making and improve CPS’s ability to communicate with the public.
• Manage the creation of various studies, reports, and materials for project updates and information required for district‑wide planning and decision‑making.
• Develop annual and multi‑year enrollment projections to help guide OPM’s planning efforts.
• Provide static and dynamic data visualizations using business intelligence software.
• Lead the development, management, and expansion of geospatial technology to facilitate student assignment and enrollment analysis.
• Deliver professional‑quality map documents and data visualizations using business intelligence software to inform district‑wide planning and decision‑making.
• Provide updated geospatial data, live public support, and UX design recommendations for the CPS School Locator app.
• Respond to public inquiries regarding attendance area assignments.
• Act as a business owner of the School Data Management System.

Qualifications

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree preferred.

Experience Required: Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience writing code with data analytic tools (e.g., Python, SAS, R, SPSS, STATA, etc.); expertise with Power BI, Microsoft Excel, and/or Google Sheets, including the ability to combine and report on datasets; experience using geographic information systems (ArcGIS Pro) software and programming preferred.

Conditions of Employment: Employees must establish/maintain Chicago residency within six months of hire and maintain residency throughout employment; all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

Skills

• Ability to use or learn geographic information systems (ArcGIS Pro) software and programming and related extensions (Network Analyst, Spatial Analyst, Community Analyst, Model Builder).
• Knowledge of web‑based mapping technologies, specifically ArcGIS Online Web AppBuilder and Google Maps is preferred.
• Commitment to adhere to a set of guiding principles for analytic practice as established by the Data Governance Council.
• Exclusive utilization of approved enterprise analytic tool sets (SAS, SQL, Python, and ArcGIS).
• Exceptional organizational, communication (oral and written), and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment, respond to multiple constituencies and meet established deadlines.
• Effective strategic planning capabilities and the ability to align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including external partners, technical and non‑technical personnel, and across departmental boundaries.
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps.

Pay

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $76,000.00

Schedule

Full‑time, exempt position.