Data Quality & Verification Specialist

Description

Who We Are

In 2020, 11.6 million children in the U.S.—16% of all children nationwide—lived in poverty, and those children were disproportionately children of color. Students living in poverty often have physical and mental health, social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development needs that schools are not equipped to support. Rooted in community for more than 45 years, Communities In Schools (CIS) strives to bring community resources inside public schools, where they are accessible, coordinated, and accountable. CIS Co-Founder Bill Milliken said, “It’s relationships, not programs, that transform children. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children.” 

Bill Milliken’s vision is alive through a strong network of trained CIS staff imbedded in schools nationwide building support and relationships inside schools. Today, CIS serves more than 3,500 schools, the overwhelming majority are Title I-eligible schools across two channels: (1) independent affiliates and (2) licensed partnerships. Grounded in the power of transformative relationships to unlock a young person’s potential, CIS has a national, research-based history of delivering local results that support improved student relationships with adults, better-quality relationships with peers, and increased engagement and sense of belonging. These outcomes lead to improved attendance, improved academic success, and improved on-time high school graduation rates. 

Mission And Values

Communities In Schools (CIS) is “all-in” for kids. It is our passion—it is our mission. At the National Office, CIS collaborates with local affiliate organizations to provide resources and create communities of caring adults who work hand-in-hand with educators to make sure young people have the tools they need to stay in school and achieve in life. We are the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization, and we achieve our mission by hiring bright, creative, and innovative team members who demonstrate a passion for what they do. 

‘Within the national office, we foster a culture inspired by our mission, our values of integrity, accountability, equity, collaboration, and excellence, and a commitment to Equity, and Inclusion. Our culture is centered on three core tenants:  

• We acknowledge contributions and perspectives. 
• We collaborate across roles and departments. 
• We honor a whole-person approach and encourage balance. 

We aim to create a psychologically safe environment where relationships matter, and mutual respect is paramount.  

About The Role

Are you passionate about using data to drive insights, improve systems, and make a real impact? We’re looking for a Data Quality & Verification Specialist to lead and execute data quality initiatives across our organization.

In this critical role, you'll lead data verification processes, collaborate with technical and non-technical teams, and support continuous improvement of data standards. If you're detail-oriented, analytical, and ready to help shape how we use data to learn and grow — we want to hear from you!

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Data Verification and Quality Assurance (40%)

• Lead and conduct annual and quarterly data verification processes in collaboration with the broader Data Quality team. 
• Develop and maintain quality assurance protocols and technical scripts to solve challenges and to proactively identify and flag data inconsistencies, gaps, or logic issues. 
• Conduct root cause analysis of data quality problems and work with appropriate stakeholders to resolve issues and improve data input processes. 
• Use technical tools such as Power Query, Excel (VBA), and/or technical scripts to aggregate and clean data for annual publications; create Excel templates and verify formulas for accuracy.

Process Design & Resource Curation (30%)

• Draft clear guidance on data entry and review procedures for internal team use. 
• Collaborate with the End User Support Specialist to ensure that system changes and data requirements are accurately reflected in training materials and user-facing resources. 
• Collaborate with Sr. Data Associates to produce resources to support end users on processes and enhancements of CISDM in a clear and understandable way. 
• Create presentations in a timely fashion and present information to the CIS network with clear communication.  

Develop and Review System Requirements (15%)

• Review field logic, dropdown values, validation rules, and system workflows to ensure alignment with organizational reporting requirements. 
• Partner with Systems Analyst(s) to test enhancements and bug fixes before release. 
• Help define and maintain data integrity rules and documentation. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%)

• Work closely with program, grants, research, and other teams to ensure data structure supports grant compliance, performance measurement, and reporting needs. 
• Serve as a bridge between frontline data entry users and technical developers by communicating data issues using accessible, actionable language.
• Support the broader Data Quality team with system testing or end-user support related to End-of-Year Reporting.

Requirements

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable differently-abled individuals to perform the essential functions.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent years of experience) in education, data analytics, or another related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience in a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience with Excel advanced formulas, VBA, and Power Query.
• Demonstrated expertise in data validation, cleaning, and logic review processes.
• Demonstrated success managing complex projects from initiation through completion.
• Proven ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to deliver high-quality results.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong ability identifying trends from data and connecting them to a bigger picture.
• Experienced in training, coaching, and supporting adult learners. 
• Demonstrates a user-first approach to product development, updates, and maintenance. 
• Willingness to learn new systems and tools.
• Strong attention to detail and able to call attention to inconsistencies and quickly identify solutions to problems. 
• Exceptional problem solver with demonstrated logic and critical thinking skills. 
• Effective collaborator with the ability to build relationships and communicate across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with database systems and reporting tools such as SQL, Power BI, or Tableau preferred.
• Experience working with end users, help desk systems, or training resources.

Travel

Travel up to 10%.

About Us

CIS staff continue to work in a virtual environment; however, the national office is open and available for staff to use as appropriate. 

To ensure the health and safety of staff and job applicants, all interviews will be conducted by phone and/or video conference.

Benefits & Perks

Work that makes a difference—the opportunity to contribute to an important mission!

Competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Five weeks of Paid Time Off
• Generous 403b Retirement Savings Plan contribution
• 10 Paid Holidays
• 90% of employee health care premiums paid by the organization
• Summer Work Schedule and Winter Break
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term income replacement programs, and much, much more!

Communities In Schools is committed to a workforce that is representative of the varied communities we are privileged to serve. We provide a work environment that does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable law. CIS prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For more information on Communities In Schools please visit our website.