Child Care Systems Analyst

Job Title: Child Care Systems Analyst

Report to: Systems Coordinator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: National Systems Team

Pay: $76,000.00; $79,800.00 – bilingual

Mission and Organizational Background

The mission of First Children’s Finance (FCF) is to grow the supply and business sustainability of excellent child care. Founded in 1991, FCF provides business and financial assistance to business owners and leaders in the field of Early Care and Education (ECE). To achieve our goals, FCF works on three levels: Individual Business Level, Community Level and Systems Level. FCF is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Minneapolis that provides business development programs and financing to ECE providers in multiple states, with regional offices in four: Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Vermont, and Oregon. For more information, see the First Children’s website at: http://www.firstchildrensfinance.org. 

Job Summary

The Child Care Systems Analyst supports our growing analytical work in support of ECE systems change.

FCF’s National Systems team provides research, consulting, and capacity-building services to child care systems leaders working to increase the supply and sustainability of child care businesses. We are seeking a curious and flexible systems thinker with experience and commitment to using data to inform systems change. We strive to be a learning organization that embodies FCF’s values of innovation, equity, and capacity-building, and we are seeking a team member who excels in fast-paced, collaborative environments. 

The Child Care Systems Analyst will assist with developing and implementing research and evaluation plans across National System projects by generating, collecting, organizing, and analyzing data on policies, practices, funding streams, and trends. The Child Care Systems Analyst will work with FCF clients. This work includes supporting cities, counties, states, Tribal Nations, and other entities as they seek to assess the business side of child care.

Essential Functions

• Collaboratively develop, implement, manage, and communicate data collection and analysis efforts to support state, Tribal, and municipal clients to increase the supply and sustainability of child care. 
• Support the development of research plans and proposals.
• Conduct both qualitative and quantitative research using tools such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, policy and document reviews, and public datasets. 
• Clean, organize, and analyze data collected by FCF or our partners. 
• Produce accurate and user-friendly reports, charts, and graphs that conform to FCF and client guidelines, standards, and best practices. 
• Create, maintain, and update user documentation and internal process guides on data definitions, analysis decisions, reports, etc.
• Learn and use new technologies, techniques, software, data types, tools, etc., as needed. Including, but not limited to, customer relationship management systems, internal project management tools, survey platforms, and data analysis tools.
• Oversee some aspects of day-to-day project management, including facilitating meetings, scheduling, updating project plans, communicating with clients, and ensuring deliverables are produced on time.
• Collaborate with the First Children’s Finance National Systems Team to develop and implement program evaluations to inform ongoing program improvement and measure impact.
• Provide training, consultative, and technical assistance support regarding data collection, analysis, dashboards, evaluation, and reporting to systems-change efforts in the ECE field.
• Present to external clients and partners related to data collection, analysis, and interpretation/application of findings.
• Collaborate with FCF clients and partners to understand their data needs and requirements, ensuring alignment with ethical and culturally competent data standards.
• Enter and manage time allocation reports and input client/partner/funder data.
• Participate in organizational and National System Team learning sessions to support continuous improvement efforts to enhance performance and efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong skills in consulting with state and local government agencies, Tribal governments, small businesses, nonprofits, and/or schools
• Skills and experience in program evaluation across a program lifespan (evaluation design, data collection, data analysis, communication of findings). 
• Abilities to visualize, observe, and interpret diverse kinds of data. 
• Abilities to think strategically, plan, implement, and problem-solve
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive business data and information
• Working knowledge of ECE-related politics, policies, and funding streams at the local, state, federal, and Tribal level, or ability to rapidly attain this knowledge

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification with at least 2 years of relevant experience (including but not limited to: public policy and administration, nonprofit program design and evaluation, research, evaluation, or consulting)
• Demonstrated experience with research, both document review and data collection methodologies 
• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and visual communications skills
• Demonstrated ability to work sensitively and effectively with adults of diverse educational, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds (including but not limited to child care business owners, families, community partners, and state, Tribal, and municipal executives)
• Proficient to advanced skills in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred

• Experience with statistical analysis and common statistical software packages
• Experience with GIS or other mapping software
• Spanish fluency 

Attributes

• Open-minded, welcoming, accepting, and asset-based approach to all work
• A team player, partner, coach, and networker
• A curious, lifelong learner
• Creative and resourceful in times of challenge or uncertainty
• A systems thinker, able to maintain a big-picture focus while attending to detail
• Open to accepting constructive feedback
• Organized, self-starter, multi-tasker

Supervisory Responsibilities

• No

Work Environment

• Remote work 
• Occasional evening and weekend

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at desk and working on a computer.

Travel 

• Up to 10% annually, for occasional meetings at FCF’s National office in Minneapolis, MN and in-person work across the country with states, Tribes, and territories. 

Additional Notes  

This job description represents the major functions of the position but is not intended to be all-inclusive. The incumbent is also responsible for taking directions from FCF representatives in completing projects or performing duties deemed necessary for the program and FCF's success. 

Benefits 

Our benefits package includes four (4) medical plans, two (2) dental plans, a vision plan, basic life coverage of $50,000, short-term and long-term disability insurance, nine (9) holidays, personal holidays (pro-rated based on hire date), pro-rated paid time off (PTO) in the first year, partial paid family medical leave, and home office allowance. Allowable travel costs are reimbursed. Flexible work environment.  

First Children’s Finance honors candidates’ time and effort in job-seeking by providing transparency regarding compensation. Creating transparency regarding salary information reduces the gender pay gap and eliminates salary negotiation, which rarely benefits people of color or women. It is a value of our organization to support equitable hiring practices.   

First Children’s Finance is an Equal Employment Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer