Data Analyst

State of North Carolina • Wake Forest, NC

3d • $81,504 - $101,881

About The Position

The Data Analyst serves as a critical resource for the State Board of Elections, supporting a variety of departments in making data-driven decisions. This role works closely with program staff, leadership, and county partners to ensure information is accurate, actionable, and relevant to operational, fiscal, and programmatic needs. The analyst applies strong analytical judgment, communication skills, and the ability to translate complex findings into clear recommendations for diverse audiences. The position is designed to foster agency-wide improvement, performance measurement, and compliance, not limited to IT or technical functions.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills applicable to a range of agency functions (elections, finance, HR, operations, compliance)
• Ability to communicate data insights effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience with data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, Excel) and reporting for multiple departments
• Collaborative mindset; able to work across teams and support agency-wide initiatives
• Familiarity with data quality, integrity, and compliance standards
• Ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to changing priorities
• Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and departments
• Capacity to serve as an internal consultant, supporting divisions in their use of modern reporting, evaluation, and data visualization technologies
• Ability to occasionally work an irregular schedule to accommodate periodic system updates/upgrades, maintenance, and/or emergency needs
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or an IT related field or a related curriculum from an appropriately accredited institution and one year of experience in programming and applications analysis including the design and maintenance of an integrated database system; or Associate degree in Computer Science or an IT related field or a related curriculum from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of experience in programming and applications analysis including the design and maintenance of an integrated database system; or High School or General Educational Development (GED) diploma and five years of experience in programming and applications analysis including the design and maintenance of an integrated database system; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of database systems and ETL concepts (preferred, not required)
• Develop SQL solutions and queries to automate administrative tasks, monitor infrastructure health, and generate alerts when data behaviors or system activities deviate from expected norms (preferred, not required).

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the agency’s business intelligence strategy, emphasizing data integrity validation, operational assessment, and the detection of irregularities across election related systems.
• Analyze incoming data for completeness, accuracy, expected behavior, fiscal accuracy, resource utilization patterns, and compliance; investigate inconsistencies and determine root causes.
• Generate complex, dynamic reports for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring outputs reflect verified, reliable, and actionable information.
• Maintain and enhance data visualization platforms (Power BI, Tableau, SSRS, MS Report Builder) to support investigative workflows, operational oversight, fiscal transparency, and public communication.
• Build and refine data models that accurately represent source systems and highlight areas of potential data quality, compliance, fiscal, and operational risk.
• Collaborate with agency units to define meaningful information needs and design dashboards that reveal trends, anomalies, operational bottlenecks, financial variances, and emerging risks.
• Research and develop predictive analytics, operational performance indicators, fiscal analytics, auditing enhancements, and advanced visualizations to strengthen decision making and oversight.
• Analyze operational data (e.g., workflow timing, submission patterns, throughput measures, county processing performance) to detect inefficiencies or noncompliance.
• Review and validate fiscal data associated with election operations, reimbursements, expenditures, county claims, budgetary activity, and other financial records to identify anomalies or inconsistencies.
• Participate in pre - and postelection audits and statistical evaluations, including contest audits, geocode audits, list maintenance audits, risk limiting audits, Bayesian audits, and fiscal audits, applying investigative methodologies to uncover irregularities and support corrective action.
• Serve as an internal consultant, guiding staff in interpreting analytic findings, identifying root causes, improving operational processes, validating fiscal information, and developing solutions that enhance election administration and compliance.
• Support data quality, integrity, and accessibility for all departments.
• Collaborate with staff to define information needs and design solutions that support operational and programmatic goals.
• Analyze data from multiple sources to support agency-wide performance measurement and improvement.
• Participate in pre- and post-election audits and statistical evaluations, applying investigative methodologies to uncover irregularities and support corrective action.
• Assist with database administration and management of GIS databases and associated applications (as needed).
• Develop SQL solutions and queries to automate administrative tasks, monitor infrastructure health, and generate alerts when data behaviors or system activities deviate from expected norms (preferred, not required).
• Maintain documentation of procedures, investigative findings, and database configurations.
• Communicate database-related issues and problems with relevant agency team members, developers, testers, and managers.
• Recommend and employ third-party database tools to enhance efficiency and support investigative, fiscal, and operational analyses.

Benefits

• The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree