Senior Executive Director of Data and Accountability (Anticipated Vacancy) (SY26-27)

Position Overview

The Senior Executive Director leads the Office of Data and Accountability within the Division of Data, Information and Systems Improvement of the Boston Public Schools, reporting to the Chief of Data, Information and Systems Improvement. The position is anticipated to be vacant but the incumbent has a right to rescind their retirement, leave, or resignation up until the day of the expected vacancy date.

Responsibilities

• Department and Division Leadership

• Lead execution of department strategic vision and day-to-day operations.
• Directly supervise ODA Directors and additional staff members, as needed.
• Hold regular supervisory and project check-ins with designated staff members, provide ongoing feedback to ensure continued professional growth and excellence, and serve as a thought partner and advisor.
• Serve on the leadership team of the Division of Data, Information and Systems Improvement to promote collaboration and ensure cohesion across the division.
• Oversee planning and facilitation of department meetings in partnership with the ODA leadership team.
• Represent the department and the district in meetings, at events, in working groups with external and internal partners, and to stakeholders.
• Oversee department hiring, budgeting, and policy-making.

• Data Reporting, Research and Evaluation

• Identify areas for new analyses that are aligned to the district’s strategic priorities and provide actionable insights to leadership to inform policy recommendations.
• Inform the development of and operationalization of the district strategic plan by overseeing thoughtful, rigorous data analysis to answer key questions in areas including equity and opportunity gaps within student academic performance, resource allocation, and college, career and life readiness.
• Establish the district’s research agenda to ensure research projects benefit the BPS and advance educational equity, opportunity, and achievement for all students.
• Serve as the district’s liaison with DESE in all matters related to data reporting, accountability and assessment, and advocate for policy changes as necessary.
• Approve all external data sharing for programmatic and evaluative purposes on behalf of the district and ensure adherence to state and federal regulations regarding data privacy.

• Data Governance Strategy

• Oversee the implementation of strong data governance practices, with a focus on ensuring access to high quality, longitudinal data that can be utilized for research and evaluation.
• Develop and implement data governance frameworks, including policies, standards, and procedures to guide data management across the organization.
• Lead cross-functional working groups through the process of adoption and implementation of data governance frameworks.
• Establish and enforce data policies and standards for data collection, storage, use, and sharing to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Promote data literacy and collaboration by educating staff on governance principles and working cross-functionally with business, IT, and other stakeholders.
• Establish procedural guidelines for the accurate collection of data across the district, including academic and operational areas.

Qualifications

• Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Minimum of 5 years experience analyzing K–12 education data
• Minimum of 3 years supervisory experience managing a team to achieve ambitious outcomes
• Proficiency in at least one coding language, preferably SQL, Stata or R
• Strong analytic and data systems management skills, and attention to detail
• Experience coaching others to adjust and improve their work processes, both in supervisory positions and in positions without formal positional authority
• Ability and demonstrated experience facilitating user centered design processes, gathering and responding to feedback from users over the course of a project
• Commitment to the belief that all students can learn and to the mission of educational equity
• Excellent time management skills, experience balancing competing priorities, and prioritizing resources
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and think at a systems level
• Strong customer service focus
• The ability to explain complex analytical concepts to lay persons in clear and concise easy to understand terms
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills as demonstrated by the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with principals, teachers, colleagues, and diverse community members
• Track record of success in a complex organization reflecting proactive problem-solving
• An understanding of and commitment to gain greater understanding of what is necessary for an urban school system to demonstrate continuous improvement in an increasingly complex and competitive environment
• A deeply held and unyielding belief in the overarching mission of public education

• Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in related field
• Knowledge of the Ed-Fi data standard
• Familiarity and experience working within the city of Boston and Boston Public Schools
• BPS has a strong preference for linguistic diversity, and we believe that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity