Analytics Consultant

This job will remain open until December 31, 2024.

Company Overview

Focus Strategies is a national consulting firm based on the West Coast dedicated to helping communities improve efforts to end homelessness through community-based planning, informed by local data and national best practices. For more than 18 years, we have provided consulting to jurisdictional and community leadership in communities across the country to support their efforts to reduce homelessness.

We are dedicated to partnering with communities through strategic consulting and technical assistance to design and implement housing-focused, equity-informed, and person-centered solutions that reduce homelessness. We are committed to working with our clients to understand their community’s context, including the experience and dynamics of homelessness in the region as well as the unique strengths and challenges of existing strategies. Together, we partner with our clients to develop programs, create strategic action plans, identify policy solutions, and evaluate efforts to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

Position Overview

Analytics Consultants at Focus Strategies achieve our mission by providing high-level and high-quality analyses for our client communities, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods projects using an equity lens and a systems approach. The day of an analytics consultant includes project management, conducting key research and analyses related to homeless systems and programs, identifying key questions for analysis, methodologies to approach the analysis, and interpretation of findings. Our calendars on Monday will look significantly different from the way things turn out by Friday and we are comfortable with changing priorities and ambiguity. We may be leading project staff, working closely with internal and external stakeholders, or preparing draft and final deliverables on time and on budget – we are always striving for excellence. We are trusted to lead communities in reducing homelessness by making strategic shifts that can be high stakes. It’s a serious responsibility and every day we feel like we’re making a difference we are proud of.

Responsibilities

• Lead data analysis efforts for communities working to reduce homelessness, using an equity lens and a systems approach.
• Represent clients or client interests in meetings to identify and resolve problems, including speaking publicly in formal and informal settings.
• Develop project plans, manage projects, work with assigned staff, and work collaboratively to achieve superior results for Focus clients.
• Supervise one or more Analysts, including directing their work and providing an opportunity for continued growth and team effectiveness. 
• Support a range of community planning and design activities to develop systems to end or reduce homelessness, including community input processes, data collection and analysis, documentation of existing and proposed system processes and structures.
• Conduct research and analyze data from single systems (e.g. homelessness) and multiple disciplines, including health, mental health, homelessness, and affordable housing. 
• Synthesize research findings into recommendations for practice.
• Develop and implement initiatives to analyze the capacity needs of supportive and affordable housing systems within the context of reducing homelessness and addressing racial and other inequities.   
• Work closely and collaboratively with supervisor and company leadership to set priorities, independently organize project workflow, conduct project management and analytic tasks, and provide timely updates.
• Work collaboratively with staff at client and partner organizations to collect and accurately interpret information.
• Actively participate in continuous learning, process, and product improvement efforts with the Focus team.

Requirements

• A passion for ending homelessness with a commitment to data-informed public policy, including advancing equity for marginalized communities.
• A graduate degree in public policy, psychology, public health, or a related field, including coursework in research design, statistics, and/or data science (PhD welcome).
• At least three years of analytics experience in human services programs, systems, policy development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with program evaluation and outcomes measurement, identifying key questions, as well as methodologies and statistical approaches to address them.
• Demonstrated proficiency interpreting quantitative and qualitative data about homelessness, homeless programs and systems, health, or behavioral health.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expression, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment.
• Strong written, verbal, and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with all Microsoft Office Suite products, statistical software (such as R, SPSS, Stata), and data visualization (such as Tableau, Power BI).
• Occasional travel throughout the West Coast and very occasional travel to other areas.
• Experience translating program, community, or systems information into data collection and reporting tools.
• Flexibility - must be able to work with shifts in priorities on a daily and weekly basis.
• Willingness to do whatever is needed to support projects and staff in accomplishing work.
• Excellent attention to detail and self-directed.
• Must reside in the United States and be able to provide proof of U.S. employment eligibility at the time of hire.

Preferred skills and aptitudes

• Bilingual skills (English and Spanish written and oral fluency preferred).

Physical requirements

• Ability to operate a computer for 6-8 hours per day.

• Ability to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, expansive reading.
• Ability to set up and maintain a safe and ergonomic workspace in home environment with minimal paper file management, including receiving occasional office supply shipments, rare shipping of equipment for repair, and carrying laptop and files for occasional all-day travel.
• Ability to give and receive detailed information through verbal and written communication.

Location: Remote; Pacific Time Zone, United States (preferably California)

Reports to: Senior Analytics Consultant

Status: Full-time, exempt

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and in alignment with our company values, we strive to attract and maintain a workplace that reflects a broad spectrum of diversity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, conviction history, uniform service membership/veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical conditions (including cancer-related and genetic characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression regardless of physical gender, or any other consideration that is unrelated to job duties or prohibited by law.

Benefits

• Paid time off (vacation, sick time, and 10 holidays)
• 401(k) with 4% salary match and profit sharing
• Health, dental, and vision
• Flexible spending plans
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Compensation: $85,000-$115,000 annually (most candidates join us at the lower half of the range to leave room for growth, learning, and development; we negotiate actual salaries with final candidates based on experience in similar roles and expertise related to qualifications)