STAFF SPECIALIST IV, HIGHER EDUCATION

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), is seeking an experienced and energetic individual to fill the position of Staff Specialist IV (Associate Director of Research and Policy Analysis).

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Nancy Grasmick Education Building 6 N. Liberty Street, 10th FL, Baltimore, MD 21201

The Associate Director of Research and Policy Analysis is a member of the Office of Research and Policy Analysis (RPA) at the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and is responsible for providing data, information reports and in-depth analysis regarding Maryland's postsecondary institutions and serves as the lead worker for the unit under the Director. The position is responsible for coordinating statewide data projects that support the Governor's education agenda, leading key policy studies and analysis, writing research reports, and using high-level statistical techniques to analyze large statewide and national data sets. These efforts provide important information that serve as the basis for decisions regarding statewide higher education policy, and advise and inform key stakeholders such as the Secretary of Higher Education, Governor's Office, General Assembly, Department of Budget and Management, Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center, and others.

The Associate Director serves as lead worker under the Director on a number of projects, and as such reviews the work of others, instructs and guides colleagues, and is available for immediate assistance or review of work as needed.

The Associate Director

• Coordinates the annual accountability process for public colleges and universities culminating in the production of the Performance Accountability Report.  
• Provides data analysis and policy reports on specific issues as requested by the Governor’s Office and General Assembly.
• Aids in a number of mandated reports including the Best Practices and Annual Progress toward the 55% Completion Goal and the Report on Campus Climate and Sexual Violence at Maryland Colleges and Universities.
• Serves as a Commission representative or staff member on assigned task forces, workgroups, or special projects. Participates in the Data Advisory Group, an intersegmental workgroup consisting of institutional researchers from Maryland colleges and universities.
• Aids in the agency’s support and contribution to the Maryland Longitudinal Data System.
• Coordinates the response to data and information requests received from other state agencies, the General Assembly, postsecondary institutions and public at-large.
• Provides workflow management and lead worker responsibilities for the staff members in the Office of RPA.
• Conducts research and analysis of policy-relevant post-secondary education issues and summarizes findings.

Education: Possession of a doctoral degree.

Experience: Five years of administrative or teaching experience in post-secondary education programs.

Note: Two additional years of experience in post-secondary education may be substituted for the doctoral degree.

SELECTIVE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of knowledge and experience with Stata, SPSS, SAS or other statistical package
• Two years of experience across several areas of basic statistical methodologies (e.g., descriptive statistics, GLM/regression, statistical tests, analysis of variance)

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A doctoral degree in a quantitatively oriented discipline or field (social science, public policy, psychology) from an accredited college or university
• At least two years of  experience in general project management
• At least three years of experience in data analysis in education, higher education, government, or public policy, including experience designing and coordinating large-scale collaborative projects and research studies
• Knowledge and experience working with PowerBI or other data visualization tools
• At least one year of experience in policy analysis and development
• Two years experience providing guidance and oversight to analysts on work products.

For education obtained outside the U.S., a copy of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service must be provided prior to hire.

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the eligible (employment) list for at least one year.

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all experience and education that is related to this position.

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS