Data and Policy Lead

Office of Innovation – Data + Policy | Full-time

The New Jersey State Office of Innovation

The New Jersey State Office of Innovation is looking for diverse and experienced team members to deploy world-class innovative and digital services that solve pressing public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey. Our work spans numerous issue and policy areas, and is focused on making an impact in the lives of the New Jerseyans that we serve. Our work has decreased the amount of time it takes to apply for Unemployment Insurance, made it easier to start, operate, and grow a business in the Garden State, and connected millions of New Jerseyans to government programs, services, and benefits.

Our team members wear many hats, contributing to both the execution of core projects and the evolution of the Office of Innovation (OOI). We use data and modern research, design, and development methods to inform our decision making, and we collaborate with stakeholders within and outside of government to understand and solve challenges. To learn more about the New Jersey Office of Innovation, visit our About Us page.

The Office of Innovation’s Data and Policy team is dedicated to integrating data services and activities (i.e. performance measurement, data analysis, data visualization, impact evaluation, and evidence-based policy research) into Office of Innovation and New Jersey government projects in an effective, systematic, and sustainable manner to address public challenges. For this role, we are seeking skilled and experienced professionals with at least 5 years of data analytics and policy research experience. As part of the Data and Policy team, your responsibilities may include:

Analyze, model, and visualize data

• Conduct exploratory data analysis to support project discovery and prioritization.
• Lead specific data cleaning, data matching, and data science work, and communicate data insights to inform, support, and improve Office of Innovation projects.
• Develop user-friendly data visualizations and dashboards for stakeholders.
• Apply advanced statistical modeling techniques and machine learning algorithms to build predictive and prescriptive models that solve real-world problems and inform policy development.

Support data sharing, handling, storage efforts

• Collaborate on the access, sharing, and linkage of government datasets, contributing to the establishment of a robust data sharing framework.
• Source and provide expert advice on best practices for data collection, handling storage, and usage.
• Contribute to system-wide data collection processes and performance management systems in government.

Partner with OOI project teams to identify opportunities for new collaborations, performance metrics frameworks, and data sources

• Identify opportunities for the Data & Policy Team to support the work of project teams at the Office of Innovation.
• Scope policy or project problems through a data lens, identifying data requirements and developing actionable recommendations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify data needs and ensure data accuracy and integrity throughout the analysis process.
• Utilize strong communication and project management skills to drive data-driven initiatives effectively.

Conduct policy research and evaluation

• Conduct comprehensive policy research to inform and guide data-driven initiatives.
• Collaborate with project teams and other stakeholders to understand policy problems and propose solutions.
• Stay updated with global best practices in evidence-based policy-making and recommend adaptations for New Jersey’s context.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and services in a variety of contexts by analyzing and summarizing existing research.

Engage and collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders and the general public

• Collaborate with other government departments, academia, and research institutions to leverage their expertise and data resources.
• Create and deliver public-facing surveys and conduct user research conversations.

Do what’s needed for the team

• Execute additional duties and responsibilities to advance the Office of Innovation’s mission and work.

Preferred Technical Experience, Skills and Abilities

• 5+ years of applicable experience focused on data analytics and policy research, along with a commitment to public service and impact.
• Analytical acumen with demonstrated experience generating data to drive tangible actions; familiarity in quantitative and qualitative research strategies; commitment to ethical data practices.
• Experience with open-source programming languages such as Python or R, statistical analysis techniques, data visualizations tools, and web analytics platforms.
• Strong communicator with experience using data to drive insights and translating technical concepts into understandable and actionable intelligence for non-technical audiences.
• Excellent research skills and an ability to quickly learn about new policy topics in short periods of time.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail, able to identify and troubleshoot technical issues effectively.
• Project management capabilities and the ability to work independently or collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, best practices, and evolving technologies in web analytics and data governance.
• Graduate-level training in public policy, data science, statistics, economics, applied mathematics, and/or business is preferred, but not required.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. If you have any questions, please contact heather@innovation.nj.gov.

Compensation: Up to approximately $103,000 (depending on experience) + full benefits.

The New Jersey Office of Innovation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer

We are deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness and seek to create a pluralistic community for all. We strongly encourage people of color, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, women, LGBTQI+ people, those with disabilities, and Veterans to apply. We are committed to building a team that is reflective of New Jersey’s incredible diversity.

We do not discriminate against any candidate because of color, race, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, membership in an employee organization, pregnancy, marital status, status as a parent, ancestry, national origin, disability (physical or mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, retaliation, or other non-merit based factors.

Eligibility

You must be authorized to work in the United States. Candidates may be required to pass a background check and complete additional steps as part of the application and onboarding process. You will be considered an “at-will” employee, meaning both employer and employee have the right to terminate employment with or without cause or notice.