Data Science Manager

About this role

ECA/P/AS requires a Data Science Manager Contractor to oversee the development of data science projects that promote a greater emphasis on understanding the content and reach of American Spaces programming and evaluating the outcomes and influence of American Spaces, in support of data-informed decision-making and strategic planning. Work assignments are made by the ECA/P/AS Strategy and Analytics Unit Lead, who serves as the contractor's site manager. Work also involves coordination with the many types of American Spaces practitioners identified in Section 1, as well as with other Bureau and State Department staff with data science management expertise.
Job Duties:
American Spaces Portal and OASIS
The Data Science Manager will guide the continued OASIS implementation by the ECA/P/AS Training Unit. This includes the following:
Technical Advisory and Implementation:

• Serve as senior technical advisor on all matters related to modifying and enhancing OASIS

• Liaise daily with the Training Unit Lead Project Manager and contract development team to resolve questions and ensure efficient progress

• Recommend system improvements to simplify data submission and enhance reporting flexibility

• Develop and execute a technical transition plan

• Establish a technical support ticket system for users
Interoperability and Process Development:

• Recommend improvements to interoperability and efficiencies between systems within the American Spaces Portal, including OASIS

• Develop a process for field practitioners to recommend system improvements

• Assess utility and feasibility of proposed improvements and establish a priority-ranking system for planned improvements
EducationUSA Data Integration:

• Collaborate with the EducationUSA branch to resolve data integration questions

• Advise EducationUSA on a regular mechanism for data updates into OASIS
Policy and Compliance:

• Recommend to the Strategy and Analytics Unit Lead how the use of OASIS may be best reflected in revisions to the American Spaces Handbook, American Spaces Standards, and other policy documents such as descriptions of the Six Pillars, and the policy on what constitutes an ECA-supported American Space

• Ensure that all proposed data collection initiatives can be supported by the OASIS platform and comply with relevant Department policies

• Ensure that all proposed visual interfaces and data visualization components comply with relevant Department policies
Training and Communications:

• Create and deliver a communications and training strategy targeting American Spaces practitioners
Improvement and Development of Dashboards and Reports
ECA/P/AS provides data reports using data visualization tools like Power BI to help staff, stakeholders, and other offices in the Department of State understand American Spaces operations and outcomes. The Data Science Manager will manage existing Power BI reports such as the CPD using Power BI, SharePoint, and Excel and work on additions and improvements. The Data Science Manager will identify new data analysis and visualization needs for which Power BI or other tools might be a fitting platform, recommend options for using Power BI or other tools to meet those needs, and build the preferred tools.
Data Consultation and Special Initiatives

• The Data Science Manager will continue to advance the following data consultation and special initiatives, in conjunction with the Strategy and Analytics Team Lead and other stakeholders.

• Work with the EducationUSA Branch within ECA/P/AS to link American Spaces and EducationUSA Center data to tell a cohesive story about the full footprint of the office's public engagement platforms.

• Collaborate with the ECA/P/AS Digital Content Strategist on analyzing the performance of American Spaces using artificial intelligence tools.

• Identify opportunities to demonstrate the effectiveness of American Spaces and respond to new needs based on administration priorities and strategic needs of ECA/P/AS.

• Recommend, develop, and deploy solutions for other data science and technology needs and priorities for ECA/P/AS, as determined by the Office leadership and the Strategy and Analytics Unit Lead, including data collection, organization, analysis, and visualization.

• Work with the Field Support and Strategy and Analytics Units to develop tools that will demonstrate the effectiveness of American Spaces Support Funds (ASSF) investments. In addition to work on OASIS itself, this task potentially includes:

• Modeling whether there are correlations between funding and outputs or, better still, outcomes.

• Recommending approaches to creating a fuller picture of American Spaces funding, beyond ECA-supplied American Spaces Support Funds (ASSF). This may include developing independent estimates of the costs required to successfully operate Spaces of various sizes, types, and longevities; developing and implementing for-attribution surveys that obtain objective information about funding; and/or improved tracking through OASIS of the funding being used by posts and Spaces from sources other than ASSF.

• Maintain a commanding knowledge of the interrelated nature of all ECA/P/AS data projects, so as to ensure that they all move forward in ways that are complementary to each other without leaving important gaps in their ability to meet American Spaces practitioners' needs.

• Make presentations, either with other Strategy and Analytics Unit members or alone, to audiences within or outside ECA on OASIS, CPD, and other ECA/P/AS data collection, management, and visualization initiatives.

• Advise the Strategy and Analytics Unit Lead on technology requirements and solutions for data analysis initiatives.
Requirements

• Experience in driving data science projects from start to finish, utilizing best practices and prior experience in creating an analytics plan, shaping customer questions, and leveraging existing efforts to speed up analytics projects. Proven creative,…