Job Description

THECB is observing a hybrid telecommuting schedule with employees required to be in the office at least two (2) days per week.

We are located at the George Herbert Walker Bush building located in the capitol complex at 1801 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701.

General Description:

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) seeks to hire a creative, passionate, experienced analytics professional as Director of Research and Evaluation. The Director will be a critical member of the THECB Community College Finance team (CCF), a new unit responsible for implementing Texas' innovative approach to community college finance. The Director's first priority will be the administration and ongoing development of a forecasting system that estimates colleges' future performance for funding purposes, but the Director will also take on a variety of other tasks related to policy and program evaluation, development, and implementation. We anticipate that the Director will supervise or co-supervise at least one direct report, which may be split across other lines of work.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads the development of the CCF forecasting system, including workflows, methods, software tools, reports, and data sources and structures, that accurately and efficiently meet forecasting goals and improve performance, reliability, and usability over time.

• Leads the hiring of and serves as the direct supervisor for Research Analysts, including standard managerial responsibilities, as directed by the Senior Director or Assistant Commissioner.

• Leads analysis and evaluation of the forecasting model and broader funding model with respect to key funding drivers, focusing on forecasting accuracy and trends and patterns related to policy objectives (e.g., how dollars are driven through the funding model, how funding change is correlated with various institutional characteristics).

• Leads development and execution of iterative evaluations of CCF program performance.

• Assists in developing internal and external-facing data tools.

• Maintains familiarity with relevant research and policy developments in higher education.

• Responds to ad hoc research inquiries.

• May assist in creating other communications products for various audiences.

• Serves as a subject matter expert on community college formula funding for internal and external stakeholders.

• Assists in the development of higher education formula funding policy, including (but not limited to) reviewing and analyzing proposed legislation and other policy proposals, identifying issues with current policy, and suggesting policy improvements through established policymaking processes.

• Performs related work as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of quantitative research methods and principles.

• Knowledge of writing fundamentals including proofing and editing documents.

• Knowledge of best practices in data management and processing.

• Knowledge of accepted standards and practices in conducting secondary research and writing literature reviews.

• General knowledge of higher education and Texas state government.

• Advanced skills in using personal computers, databases, and general office software, including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

• Intermediate familiarity with coding in at least one common data processing/analysis programming language (e.g., Python, SAS, R, Stata), with additional weight given for additional experience and/or languages.

• Skill in communicating effectively both orally and in writing.

• Skill in managing subordinate employees in a professional and appropriate manner.

• Ability to think analytically and present professional research data and reports.

• Ability to solve problems and answer questions independently using trustworthy sources.

• Ability to effectively organize time and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality with business matters and records.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships both internally and externally.

• Ability to initiate and complete tasks with minimal supervision and make decisions using appropriate professional judgment and reasoning.

• Ability to accept and follow instructions given in a variety of forms.

Military Crosswalk: https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_ProgramManagement.pdf



Qualifications:

Required Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university in a social science with significant quantitative coursework, Business, Accounting/Actuarial Science, Finance, Public Administration, Mathematics/Statistics, or Computer Science. A completed graduate degree in one of these fields may substitute for a bachelor's degree in a different field.

• One year of professional experience performing analysis or forecasting of data.

Preferred:

• Graduate education (including any coursework) in the fields listed above.

• Years of professional experience with inferential or predictive analytics, up to ten.

• Experience with quantitative social data, with additional weight for experience with education data.

• Years of managerial experience, up to five.

• Related professional experience at a government agency or institution of higher education.

• Detailed knowledge of public higher education, with additional weight if said knowledge pertains to Texas.

Physical Requirements and/or Working Conditions:

Work is performed in a standard office environment and requires:

• Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance at work;

• Frequent use of personal computer, copiers, printers, and telephones;

• Frequent sitting;

• Frequently working under deadlines, as a team member, and in direct contact with others.

Workforce:

Must be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of customer service deliverables.

• Show flexibility and adaptability toward changes in assignments and work schedules, working extended hours as necessary.

• Adhere to the organization's internal management policies and procedures.

• Contribute to the agency's performance measures and mission.

Application Requirements:

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer. A State of Texas application is required to apply. For more information on how to apply for this position, go to the Coordinating Board's employment opportunities website at https://www.highered.texas.gov/about/human-resources/careers/.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board participates in E-Verify for each new employees' Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. For questions, please call the HR Department at 512-427-6190. For vocal and/or hearing assistance call 7-1-1.

Notes to Applicant:

If you require any reasonable accommodation for the interview process, please inform the hiring representative who calls to schedule your interview. This position has been designated as a security sensitive position. A criminal background investigation will be conducted on the final candidate for this position.

Your job application must be completely filled out. Your application must contain dates of employment, job titles, name of employer and a description of duties performed in a way that demonstrates you meet the minimum qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Resumes do not take the place of the requirement to include this information on the application. If this information is not submitted, your application may be rejected because it is incomplete.

Veterans Information: THECB is committed to hiring Veterans. To receive Veteran's Preference, a copy of the FORM DD214 -member #4, must be attached when submitting your application.

AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: THECB does not discriminate on the basis, of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services.

Job offer and continuation of employment with THECB is contingent upon:

• Proof of education and experience listed on the application.

• Eligibility/authorization to work in the U.S.

• Satisfactory results from a pre-employment criminal history background check.

• Compliance with the Selective Service Law for males ages 18-25. Please be advised that under Texas law, names and other information concerning applicants or nominees may be subject to disclosure upon request.

THECB does not allow dual employment with other state of Texas agencies or institutions.

Skills assessment may be conducted at time of interview

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.