* Forbes named Mesa Public Schools in their list of 2024 Best Employers in Arizona. * East Valley Tribune names Mesa Public Schools as Best Place to Work in East Valley for consecutive years. Base Salary: $65,327.00 Performance Pay: Available annually New hire experience: 1% of the base granted for each year of verified relevant experience (within ten years) beyond the requirement, up to a ten-year maximum New hire education: 1% of the base awarded for an AA or higher degree if not required for the position Class/Calendar: C53-RE, 12 months Hours: Full-time FSLA: Exempt Benefits: Vacation, sick leave, holidays, matched retirement, health and life insurance Job Summary: Mesa Public Schools is seeking a passionate and detail-oriented Strategic Research Analyst to join our Research and Evaluation team. As a member of an energetic and collaborative team committed to educational excellence, the Analyst will collaborate with department, district, and school level leadership in institutional research on programs and initiatives that support the superintendency's strategic goals through research design, instrument development, data collection, dataset validation, and analysis of data. Working with department colleagues to employ high-quality research designs and careful analysis, the Analyst will help district teams better understand the reach and characteristics of district programs and support those teams as they plan for continued success. Key Responsibilities: This section outlines the primary duties and key responsibilities required for this role, detailing the essential tasks and functions necessary to perform the job successfully, with or without reasonable accommodations. * Collaborate with departmental colleagues and other district constituents on the design and execution of institutional research in support of the superintendency's strategic goals * Maintain documentation for pending and approved requests for permission to engage in research within the district * Create, administer, and analyze key surveys utilizing tools such as Qualtrics or PowerBI * Conduct literature reviews to connect district initiatives with existing research and to inform the design of instruments for these initiatives * Design and validate survey questionnaires and interview/focus group protocols * Collect data through fieldwork and institutional data mining * Integrate and validate analytic datasets drawing from student testing, survey responses, and other data sources * Conduct the qualitative coding of data, including observational data, written documents, audio-visual data, and other institutional artifacts * Analyze quantitative data using a variety of statistical approaches * Communicate findings of institutional research through written reports and data visualization tools * Collaborate and work on projects/tasks within the Research and Evaluation department as a whole * Complete data requests and collaborate with district employees and external parties as assigned * Foster a continuous learning, professional development and growth mindset amongst team members * Maintain department procedures and policies in alignment with district, state and federal statutes and regulations * Produce documentation to ensure consistency, quality, and transparency across the district * Assists with other assigned duties as appropriate to the area of assignment and Mesa Public Schools Required Qualifications: To be eligible for this position, an applicant must meet the following required qualifications. Verification of these required qualifications is necessary. Education: * Bachelor's degree Experience: * Two years of full-time professional experience with/in K-12 education Preferred Qualifications: It is preferred that the applicant possess the following preferred qualifications; however, the following qualifications are not required to be eligible for this position. Education: * Master's degree or higher in education, social science research, statistics, or a related field Experience: * Full-time teaching or administrative experience * Experience with data visualization tools, such as Tableau or Power BI * Experience with survey development, construct validation, survey administration, and the analysis of qualitative and quantitative survey data; Qualtrics proficiency desired * Experience in conducting literature reviews to synthesize educational research * Experience in data collection and analysis through multiple methods, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups Skills & Competencies: This section outlines the critical skills and competencies required to excel in this role, enabling effective performance, adaptability, and consistent achievement of job responsibilities. * Models the attributes and skills of the MPS Portrait of a Graduate * Demonstrates commitment to the MPS Promise that every student is known by name, served by strength and need, and graduates ready for college, career and community * Knowledge of and experience with K-12 curriculum and assessment * Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace and experience with statistical software packages, such as R, Stata, or SPSS * Proficiency in combining and cleaning multiple data sources to develop analytic datasets, preferably in SQL * Effective communication skills, both written and verbal * Excellent organizational and time management abilities * Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail * Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment Work Environment & Physical Requirements: This section outlines the work environment and physical conditions associated with this role. It includes information on whether the job involves working in an office, classroom, or other settings, and if there are physical activities like standing, walking, or lifting. * Primarily works in an office within the school district's central administrative offices. * Works closely with administrators, department heads, school board members, and educators. * Frequently participates in meetings to present findings and support decision-making processes. * The role is largely sedentary, involving extended periods of sitting and computer use. * Frequent use of computers and software for data analysis, reporting, and presentation creation (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, statistical tools) * May occasionally need to lift light items such as reports, binders, or presentation equipment (typically under 20 pounds). Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: Mesa Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination. The District strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Applicants and employees may contact Human Resources to request reasonable accommodations needed to perform the essential functions of this position.