Data, Research, and Evaluation Specialist

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. What We Offer The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The target salary range for this position is $84,604-$112,100. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to: A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service 457B Retirement Plan 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date Location The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days. What You’ll Do At Denver Human Services (DHS), we envision a healthy community where people are connected, supported, safe, and well. One in three people in Denver turn to DHS for support at all stages of life. Our employees help children, at-risk adults, families, and individuals navigate social and economic pressures by connecting them to services and experts who support their overall well-being. The Division of Strategic Insights and Impact, within the Department of Human Services, is seeking a data and research specialist with a proven track record in data-driven decision-making, program evaluation, and applied research. This position supports evidence-informed program practice by generating learning and data insights across internal programs, teams, and processes to inform policy, program, and operational decisions. The role applies advanced data extraction and analysis, research and evaluation methods, data mining protocols, and data visualization to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights and compelling stories for diverse audiences. The Data, Research, and Evaluation Specialist will contribute to the following priorities:

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Public Administration, Finance, Management, or a related field
• Three (3) years of professional experience planning and conducting management studies including determining study methods and procedures, analyzing data, developing recommendations and implementation strategies, and preparing reports of findings and recommendations.
• One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements

Nice To Haves

• Five or more years of evaluation work experience
• Strong leadership experience and the ability to work independently, as well as in a team environment
• History of providing technical support and training to staff (senior leadership)
• Demonstrated expertise designing and managing multi-stakeholder mixed-methods evaluation and research projects.
• Strong experience designing and implementing surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, participatory methods, and participant observation.
• In-depth knowledge of quantitative and qualitative analysis, inferential statistical methods, and analytical tools such as SPSS and R
• Proven experience successfully facilitating and supporting the implementation of an organizational strategic plan.
• Experience utilizing needs assessments, environmental scans, rapid assessment processes, feasibility assessments, or other methods to support organizational strategic planning
• In-depth knowledge of human services practice, theory, and systems.
• Strong dedication to public service and interest in supporting human services related topics
• Exceptional skills communicating with diverse audiences – specifically with direct service providers and organizational leaders.
• Experience planning, facilitating, and leading stakeholder engagement
• Dedication to inclusivity and equity; a track record of advocating for Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion in the workplace
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, receptivity to others’ ideas, and a collaborative team approach to all projects
• Passion for participatory learning and using evaluation to improve practice and policy
• Experience using SQL or similar coding language to extract data

Responsibilities

• Extract, manage, and analyze administrative and operational data using reporting tools and direct querying (e.g., SQL) to support evaluation, research, and performance analysis
• Assess, collect, and monitor performance measures, including federal, state, and local requirements, to track progress toward division and departmental goals and inform improvement strategies
• Design, build, and maintain data dashboards (Microsoft Power BI) and recurring reports for leadership audiences, including executive management, to support strategic oversight, performance monitoring, and decision-making; dashboards, reports, and visualizations that summarize key performance indicators and trends to inform planning, resource allocation, and strategic priorities
• Support the integration of data into decision-making processes, helping staff across divisions interpret analysis, evaluate program outcomes, and identify opportunities for improvement
• Provide guidance and training to staff on data interpretation, visualization tools, and research methods to strengthen data literacy department wide
• Develop training materials and learning resources for assigned divisions to strengthen data literacy, support interpretation of performance data, and expand the use of data in daily decision-making
• Support data dialogues as part of the performance management strategy
• Design and lead program and initiative evaluations for a division or across divisions, with a focus on learning, effectiveness, and operational impact
• Provide technical expertise in evaluation design and analytics, including evaluation planning, data collection protocols, tool development, and application of qualitative and quantitative methods
• Partner with leadership and stakeholders to assess readiness for evaluation, identify priorities, and develop learning and evaluation questions.
• Identify, synthesize, and apply best and promising practices using research, theory, and data to inform program design, implementation, and policy-aligned decision-making
• Consult with division leaders and staff to ensure programs and initiatives are data-driven, aligned with departmental goals, and measurable
• Collaborate on strategic analyses that assess organizational performance, identify emerging trends, and inform long-term planning; collaborate with the continuous improvement and strategy teams
• Ensure evidence-based recommendations are actionable and relevant, helping translate insights into operational or policy changes that improve outcomes

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level