(Salary Range: $71,960.28 – $125,930.49)
The Mississippi Department of Education is seeking an Educ-Bureau Director II to serve as a Statistician/Psychometrician in the Office of Accreditation and Accountability.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants should possess experience in statistics and/or psychometrics. The position will be responsible for utilizing data to examine how current initiative and educational practices implemented by the Mississippi Department of Education and/or Local Education Agencies impact students’ academic or social development. Additional the candidate will be responsible for delivery of data and analytics necessary to ensure informed decision making.
A Ph.D. or Master’s degree is preferred in the areas of Economics, Statistics, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Public Policy, or a related field. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their competency, skills, knowledge, and abilities as follows:
- Training in applied econometrics, psychometrics, or statistics
- Knowledge of academic research
- Working with Information Systems departments to design, implement, and maintain systems used to store, retrieve, and analyze data
- Experience analyzing quantitative data with Stata, R, Python, Julia, SAS, and/or other analytic programs or languages
- Experience analyzing qualitative data using programming languages (e.g., Perl, Python, R, SAS, etc…) or software (e.g., NVivo, AtlasTI, etc…)
- Mentoring and training staff in the cleaning, collection, coding, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data
- Leading and/or conducting professional development focused on research methodology, and/or data analysis
- Designing simple survey/questionnaire tools for hard copy and electronic delivery
- Creating compelling and easily interpretable data visualizations, summary tables, and policy memos
summarizing findings quickly and efficiently
- Possess the ability to interpret the needs of stakeholders and experience writing reports and presenting findings to governing boards, legislators, and other stakeholders
- Utilize a high level of initiative, creativity, and judgment in conducting sensitive assignments
- Demonstrate advanced cross-platform computer and Microsoft Office skills
- Demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills in multiple social and cultural contexts
EXPERIENCE/EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
A Master’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university; AND
Eight (8) years in the special experience defined below, four (4) years of which must have included line or functional administrative or advanced technical supervision.
OR
A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university; AND
Nine (9) years in the special experience defined below, four (4) years of which must have included line or functional administrative or advanced technical supervision.
Special Experience:
Employment must have been in an administrative, professional capacity in an area of work related to the functional responsibility of the bureau in which the position exists. In those bureaus where registered specialists provide the primary sources of functional and technical knowledge for planning and accomplishing the mission of the bureau, the incumbent must also be registered and experienced in that profession. Work experience must have included supervising and coordinating a variety of functions.
Applicants must apply online at www.mspb.ms.gov. (Inquiries may be made to Dr. Paula Vanderford at 601-359-3764 or pvanderford@mde.k12.ms.us.)
The deadline for application submission is March 20, 2015. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by phone.
(Mississippi Department of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer)