TANF Policy Research Analyst

K.L. Scott & Associates, LLC.; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

K.L. Scott & Associates, LLC seeks a Project Leader to direct the technical integration of complex programs bridging policy, research, and field execution.

You will translate approved agendas into coordinated analysis, pilots, and product work while guiding expert teams. You will develop analytic questions, readiness criteria, and pilot designs, and you will oversee the creation of practitioner tools, templates, and training resources for nationwide use.

Qualifications

• Eight years of progressively responsible experience leading human-services or related programs.
• Ability to integrate policy, evidence, and program design across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing technical experts and supporting partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical planning and execution for analytics and product development portfolios.
• Develop evidence plans, readiness criteria, and pilot designs, and workstream schedules.
• Coordinate TANF, tax, benefits, and related program knowledge across teams.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and implementation across up to five pilot sites.
• Provide concise technical briefings and recommend decisions when risks arise.

Skills

Program leadership

Policy integration

Facilitation

Analytical writing

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Data stewardship

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Position Summary

The Project Leader directs the technical integration of project. This individual turns the approved policy and research agenda into coordinated analysis, pilot, TTA, and product work; guides task teams and approved experts; and ensures that findings become feasible recommendations and usable tools. The Project Leader is the senior bridge between program strategy and field execution.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead technical planning and execution for the Marriage Penalty Analysis, Pilot Strategy, TTA provision, and product-development portfolio.
• Develop analytic questions, evidence plans, readiness criteria, pilot design methods, tool concepts, and workstream-level schedules for Project Manager approval.
• Coordinate TANF, tax, benefits, early-childhood, child-care, Tribal, HMRF, research, evaluation, organizational-development, communications, and implementation expertise.
• Guide recruitment, readiness assessment, selection, onboarding, co-design, implementation, course correction, sustainability planning, and closeout for up to five pilot sites.
• Design Universal, Targeted, and Intensive TTA activities, including peer learning, webinars, workshops, office hours, site-based support, and implementation coaching.
• Oversee development of policy options, practitioner tools, templates, training resources, promising-practice products, and interactive or visual resources for nationwide use.
• Lead technical reviews to ensure recommendations are supported by authority, evidence, cost and operational analysis, implementation prerequisites, and appropriate limitations.
• Identify emerging policy, research, demographic, and field developments and translate relevant signals into updated priorities, tools, and technical assistance.
• Provide concise technical briefings to OFA and recommend decisions, tradeoffs, and corrective actions when workstream risks arise.

Required Qualifications

• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience leading human-services, TANF, means-tested program, TTA, research-to-practice, organizational-development, or pilot-implementation work.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate policy, evidence, program design, facilitation, and product development across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing technical experts, developing decision-ready deliverables, and supporting State, Tribal, local, grantee, or community partners.
• Strong facilitation, analytical writing, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation problem-solving skills.
• Working knowledge of plain writing, Section 508, data stewardship, adult learning, and quality-review expectations for federal products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in public policy, social sciences, organizational development, public administration, economics, social work, or a related field.
• Direct experience with TANF or HMRF programs, marriage-penalty analysis, benefit cliffs, pilot design, or rapid-cycle learning.
• Experience producing national tools, templates, technical assistance resources, or multi-site implementation guidance.

Education And Experience

Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred. Eight or more years of directly relevant technical and project leadership experience is preferred.