Lead Strategy & Improvement Analyst (Management Analyst 5)
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Job summary
Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks a Lead Strategy & Improvement Analyst to drive strategic data governance and continuous improvement across the Student Engagement & Special Programs division in Olympia, WA. This full-time role may include telework with mandatory orientation on-site for 6-8 weeks.
The position emphasizes equity in data interpretation, leading initiatives to monitor progress, identify disproportionalities, and establish sustainable data
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in related field and 5+ years in information technology and data systems for public sector or school/district student support systems.
- Experience managing multiple complex projects.
- Experience presenting information to both technical and non-technical audiences; building capacity of audiences to engage in data use.
Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate data governance, quality, documentation, and prioritization for SESP.
- Define data requirements, collect and analyze data, and prepare charts and reports.
- Build staff capacity to use data through training and coaching.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Salary: $78,504.00 - $105,612.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2026-07184
Department: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Division: Student Engagement and Support
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: 9/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill the Lead Strategy & Improvement Analyst (Management Analyst 5). This full-time permanent position is based in Olympia, Washington and may be eligible for telework. The position requires three days in the office during orientation (6-8 weeks), and one day per week thereafter. We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to gain insight into our agency.
OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K-12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:
- We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
- We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
- We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.
Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.
Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.
Values: Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child
- Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.
- Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.
Serving in the Student Engagement & Special Programs (SESP) Division, Operations & Strategy unit, the Lead Strategy & Improvement Analyst provides strategic data leadership and continuous improvement support to SESP Executive Leadership. This role centers equity in how data is interpreted and used, with the expectation that every student can learn, thrive, and succeed. The position helps assess implementation and impact of comprehensive, integrated student supports; leads division data governance, quality, documentation, and prioritization; and helps establish sustainable, authoritative data processes. The role builds program staff capacity to monitor progress, examine disproportionality, use data to guide responsive action, and transition recurring data work to designated owners through documented processes, training, quality checks, and ongoing support. The position works closely with SESP program teams, the division policy lead, Student Information, Data Governance, Federal Accountability, Educational Service Districts (ESDs), and district student safety and support staff.
- Partner with SESP Executive Leadership to establish and regularly review priorities for division data work, balancing statutory and reporting obligations, program needs, equity priorities, available capacity, and the division's highest-impact needs.
- Support effective, efficient, and equitable implementation and continuous improvement by defining data requirements, collecting and analyzing data, preparing charts, graphs, and reports, and partnering with the SESP project manager on project plans, timelines, status communication, and implementation practices.
- Lead or support recurring division data collections and surveys, including design, distribution, scoring, data cleaning and validation, analysis, documentation, and dissemination. Recurring work may include SEMBH data collections, the HIB Survey, safety and security staffing data, restraint and isolation data, and other assigned data collections and reporting processes.
- Establish and maintain clear data definitions, business rules, analytical methods, validation processes, documentation, timelines, and authoritative data sources; coordinate with program staff, Student Information, IT, Data Governance, and other partners to reduce duplication and manual processes and improve continuity and access.
- Use disaggregated data to identify disparities, examine systemic barriers, and support actions that improve outcomes for all students, especially those experiencing opportunity gaps.
- Build staff and partner capacity to use data through training, coaching, modeling, and technical assistance in problem identification, root cause analysis, action planning, evaluation, and reporting; transition recurring data responsibilities to designated program owners with quality assurance and an escalation path for additional technical support.
- Lead and support federal, state, statutory, and legislative reporting and data requirements related to school safety plans, emotional and behavioral distress response plans, threat assessment, restraint and isolation, student discipline, School Safety Center and Regional School Safety Center implementation, safety and security staffing, school Medicaid and related student wellbeing work.
- Bachelor's Degree related to data analysis, workflow engineering, process improvement or information systems and 5 or more years of experience in information technology and data systems related to public sector or school/district student support systems
- OR
- In lieu of a degree, nine years of experience in a related field can be substituted. Relevant experience may include information technology and data systems related to public sector or school/district student support systems or other data related systems.
- Experience managing multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Experience presenting information to both technical and non-technical audiences; building capacity of audiences to engage in best practices relative to data use.
- Experience engaging adult learners in data-informed activities aligned with evidence-based practices.
- Data management experience/knowledge to include relational database structure, data types, validation of data, or logic-based data collection.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, roles, and levels of technical expertise, and to create accessible and inclusive approaches to data use, training, and collaboration.
- In-state travel, minimal out of state travel
- Must reside of in the state of Washington as a condition of employment
- Experience working with K-12 education data systems, including Washington K-12, OSPI, or comparable systems.
- Experience with data governance, data quality, documentation, business rules, and sustainable data processes.
- Experience cleaning, transforming, and analyzing complex data using Excel, Power Query, Tableau Prep, SQL, R, or similar tools; advanced Excel skills preferred.
- Experience analyzing disaggregated data and communicating trends, disparities, disproportionality, and actionable insights.
- Experience designing or improving surveys, data collections, reporting processes, dashboards, visualizations, or other data products.
- Experience translating policy, program, legislative, or business needs into practical data and reporting requirements and collaborating across technical and non-technical teams.
- Experience providing training or technical assistance that builds others' capacity to use and interpret data.
- Experience engaging with, learning from, or serving communities historically underserved by public systems, including through professional, volunteer, educational, community, or lived experience.
- Experience supporting student engagement, attendance, school safety, wellbeing, discipline, behavioral health, or integrated student supports.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust, adapt to change, support shared decisions, and steward public resources, sensitive information, and public trust.
The annual compensation for the position is $78,504 - $105,612 per year and depends upon experience, educational background and qualifications. Geographic differentials may be applied based on work location successful candidate. Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental and life insurance, retirement, and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visit Care Authority for information regarding health benefits and the Department of Retirement Systems for retirement plan information. This is a general service position. This position is not represented by a bargaining unit.
OSPI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity. OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. If you would like, please include your name and gender pronouns in your application, to ensure we address you appropriately throughout the application process. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resource consultant listed in "Application Process".
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.
Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.
Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.
Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.
Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.
Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.
Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.
Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.
Leave Sharing
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay
Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.
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