Director of Data and Analytics

This recruitment will be used to fill a Career Service position and to create an eligibility pool to fill vacancies that may occur within the next six (6) months.

The King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking leader to serve as our Strategic Programs Manager (Director of Data and Analytics). The successful candidate is a visionary who excels in collaboration and can navigate the county’s complex civil and criminal legal systems. They should also be aware of significant national trends in public defense.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, this role advances DPD’s mission by championing organizational effectiveness and equitable outcomes through data-driven informed analysis that impact public defense services and focuses on the impact to clients.

The Strategic Programs Manager (Director of Data and Analytics) will set the department-wide strategic direction for research, data and analytics; oversee the development and implementation of modern data systems and analytics, and evaluation frameworks; they will lead efforts to identify emerging trends in data, research, technology, and sustainability. This position translates data into actionable insights, develops performance metrics, and informs both short- and long-term organizational goals for the Department.

The position also oversees the department’s data and analytics governance, information systems and application infrastructure, and research initiatives. A key responsibility is fostering a culture where the workforce embraces and seeks to incorporate qualitive and quantitative data for continuous quality improvement to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge and evidence-based public defense services.

The Department’s Mission Statement

The King County Department of Public Defense represents indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty. Our department is an independent voice that advocates for their objectives, interests, and dignity.

DPD provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), and sex offender commitment proceedings.

DPD advocates to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal and civil legal systems that restrict our clients’ liberty, and advances policy reforms to reduce systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework. To learn more about DPD, visit our website.

Essential job functions and duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the department’s research, data and analytics operations and resources. Make critical decisions related to technology procurement and implementation, and coordinate the evaluation, deployment, and management of current and future technologies.
• Oversee requirements, technical development, selection, testing, deployment, training, and operational support for the department’s information systems and applications.
• Build and maintain strong collaboration with end users and leadership to ensure information system and application needs are met or exceeded.
• Ensure research, data, and analytics operations comply with applicable laws, regulations, King County standards, and security requirements; establish and maintain effective governance structures supporting data privacy and security.
• Lead the research, collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to assess DPDs client programs and services.
• In collaboration with Director’s Office leadership, help define assessment, research and evaluation priorities that support data driven decision-making and organizational improvement.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of information systems, applications and data collection activities.
• Lead the data and analytics team to provide high-level in-house expertise on cutting-edge public defense services.
• Advance fair and equitable data practices that reduce burden, uncover inequities, and work collaboratively with department leadership to increase access to public data whenever possible.
• Serve as the department’s liaison to internal and external partners on data presentations, as well as assessment and evaluation findings and approaches.
• Manage multiple ongoing projects in an environment of changing priorities, time constraints, and budget limitations; identify and determine scope of work for sustainability of new and existing projects.
• 10+ years of related work experience in data analytics, data science, research methods and data administration roles, or a combination of experience, education, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• Ability to travel throughout King County in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with data management, analysis, quality a