Job Summary

Working as a part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team, this role conducts exploratory and evaluative data analysis, designs and implements program evaluations, and builds dashboards and reports that support decision makers to improve services and systems in the criminal justice system. This role is part of the Data, Research, and Planning (DRP) division in the Innovative Justice and Program Analysis (IJPA) department in Travis County and is funded through September 2026 with the potential to be extended.

What is your role
As a Senior Planner, you will be part of the Data Research and Planning division (DRP) within the Innovative Justice and Program Analysis (IJPA) department, and report to the Senior Program Manager for DRP. Part of a larger, collaborative team, you will be involved in a variety of different data and research related tasks that are designed to inform the Commissioners Court and other justice system stakeholders to make data informed decisions. A typical day in this role varies considerably and may include querying and analyzing data, creating data visuals, building dashboards, or providing technical assistance on data governance and quality improvements. You will work with a variety of stakeholders in the justice system, including the County and District Attorney’s Offices, Sheriff’s Office, Pretrial Services, local mental health authority, Commissioners Court, Clerk’s Office, Court Administration, community advocacy groups, and many more.
This position is currently hybrid, requiring a flexible schedule to meet department needs. In-person vs remote schedule balance varies weekly based on project needs but generally averages one to two in-person days per week. IJPA’s offices are in downtown Austin, but in-person activities may be required at different county and community locations to accommodate specific data collection or reporting requirements.

This is a Special Project Worker position that is funded through 9/30/26 with the potential for further funding

Duties and Responsibilities

Research and Analytics:

• Advanced research methodology and statistics knowledge, being able to independently develop, design, and implement appropriate methodological approaches for data acquisition, modeling, and analysis to address specific learning, evaluation, and research questions.
• Strong skills and experience using a variety of tools and languages for querying and analyzing data (e.g. R, Python, SQL), as well as excel
  
• Experience working with large administrative datasets
  
• Experience working with sensitive data (e.g. HIPAA, CJIS) and knowledge of ethics in research
  

Data Management and Technical Assistance:

• Assist with data governance and quality initiatives, and support continuous improvement of data processes and reporting
  
• Catalogs existing data sources and contributes to metadata documentation
  
• Provides feedback to team and collaborator data products and outputs
  
• Performs initial data cleaning and compilation
  
• Leverages strong understanding of full data product and data management lifecycle
  
• Collaboration on contextual and primary insights gathering to support end-users of data products
  
• Identifies opportunities to increase data quality and data use, including automation and data entry procedural training
  
• Ability to quickly adapt and learn new domain areas and data sets to support analysis and reporting

Reporting and Dissemination:

• Ability to synthesize and translate analytical findings into clear, actionable reports and communication tools (e.g. slide presentations, long and short form reporting)
  
• Demonstratable experience with Power BI and similar data visualization tools
  
• Experience developing and maintaining dashboards that are accessible to multiple audiences
  
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand data and reporting needs
  

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Planning, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Public Policy/Administration, Government, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Business Administration or a directly related field AND six (6) years increasingly responsible experience with strategic planning, planning, research, project management, policy research and program development, including one (1) year of supervisory experience;

OR,

Master's degree in Planning, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Public Policy/Administration, Government, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Business Administration or a directly related field AND four (4) years increasingly responsible experience strategic planning, planning, research, project management, policy research and program development, including one (1) year of supervisory experience;

OR,

Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
None required.

Preferred:
Education or formal training (e.g. certification, coursework, degree) in quantitative research methodologies, statistics, and/or data science
Knowledge of or experience with the criminal justice system
Knowledge of or experience with local, state, or federal government and/or policy making
Advanced experience with data visualization and communication tools like PowerBI and Tableau
Strong working knowledge of and experience with either R or Python
Experience working with large administrative datasets
Experience with usability, user experience, product design, or service design
Experience using multiple data science and research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles, practices and techniques.
• Public Administration and governmental agencies.
• Legislative process.
• Principles and techniques of planning.
• Modern planning research methods, data collection and analysis.
• Issues pertaining to area of assignment.
• Strategic planning techniques.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines.
• Sources of information, current literature, and recent developments.
• Administrative and related business principles.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, statistical packages, presentation/ graphics and related software applications.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.
• May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.

Skill in:

• Developing short-range and long-range comprehensive plans in development of innovative solutions.
• Program planning, developing and implementing.
• Statistical analysis and policy research.
• Analyzing and evaluating data, policies and technical issues.
• Setting up systems for conducting analysis and compiling for reports.
• Coordinating the development and making presentations.
• Coordinating work of others.
• Conducting interviews and group meetings.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Initiate and develop projects and programs.
• Apply knowledge to data, policy, and process analysis.
• Reach sound conclusions and make recommendations.
• Manage time well and perform multiple tasks, and organize diverse activities.
• Formulate broad perspectives.
• Interpreting planning and program objectives to groups and public.
• Bring together several viewpoints into a balanced position.
• Compile data and to write clear and comprehensive reports.
• Maintenance of appropriate records.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, and the general public.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 5–20 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, occasional indoor/outdoor activities, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday.

Location: 700 Lavaca, Suite 1530 Austin, Texas 78701

Department: Innovative Justice & Program Analysis

Criminal, Driving, Education, and Employment Background Checks Required.

For updates or questions on this position, contact: Kristy.Cano@traviscountytx.gov

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Working as a part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team, this role conducts exploratory and evaluative data analysis, designs and implements program evaluations, and builds dashboards and reports that support decision makers to improve services and systems in the criminal justice system. This role is part of the Data, Research, and Planning (DRP) division in the Innovative Justice and Program Analysis (IJPA) department in Travis County and is funded through September 2026 with the potential to be extended. What is your role As a Senior Planner, you will be part of the Data Research and Planning division (DRP) within the Innovative Justice and Program Analysis (IJPA) department, and report to the Senior Program Manager for DRP. Part of a larger, collaborative team, you will be involved in a variety of different data and research related tasks that are designed to inform the Commissioners Court and other justice system stakeholders to make data informed decisions. A typical day in this role varies considerably and may include querying and analyzing data, creating data visuals, building dashboards, or providing technical assistance on data governance and quality improvements. You will work with a variety of stakeholders in the justice system, including the County and District Attorney’s Offices, Sheriff’s Office, Pretrial Services, local mental health authority, Commissioners Court, Clerk’s Office, Court Administration, community advocacy groups, and many more. This position is currently hybrid, requiring a flexible schedule to meet department needs. In-person vs remote schedule balance varies weekly based on project needs but generally averages one to two in-person days per week. IJPA’s offices are in downtown Austin, but in-person activities may be required at different county and community locations to accommodate specific data collection or reporting requirements. This is a Special Project Worker position that is funded through 9/30/26 with the potential for further funding Duties and Responsibilities Research and Analytics: Advanced research methodology and statistics knowledge, being able to independently develop, design, and implement appropriate methodological approaches for data acquisition, modeling, and analysis to address specific learning, evaluation, and research questions. Strong skills and experience using a variety of tools and languages for querying and analyzing data (e.g. R, Python, SQL), as well as excel Experience working with large administrative datasets Experience working with sensitive data (e.g. HIPAA, CJIS) and knowledge of ethics in research Data Management and Technical Assistance: Assist with data governance and quality initiatives, and support continuous improvement of data processes and reporting Catalogs existing data sources and contributes to metadata documentation Provides feedback to team and collaborator data products and outputs Performs initial data cleaning and compilation Leverages strong understanding of full data product and data management lifecycle Collaboration on contextual and primary insights gathering to support end-users of data products Identifies opportunities to increase data quality and data use, including automation and data entry procedural training Ability to quickly adapt and learn new domain areas and data sets to support analysis and reporting Reporting and Dissemination: Ability to synthesize and translate analytical findings into clear, actionable reports and communication tools (e.g. slide presentations, long and short form reporting) Demonstratable experience with Power BI and similar data visualization tools Experience developing and maintaining dashboards that are accessible to multiple audiences Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand data and reporting needs Minimum Requirements Education and Experience:Bachelor's degree in Planning, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Public Policy/ Administration, Government, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Business Administration or a directly related field AND six (6) years increasingly responsible experience with strategic planning, planning, research, project management, policy research and program development, including one (1) year of supervisory experience;OR,Master's degree in Planning, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Public Policy/ Administration, Government, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Business Administration or a directly related field AND four (4) years increasingly responsible experience strategic planning, planning, research, project management, policy research and program development, including one (1) year of supervisory experience;OR,Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job. Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:None required. Preferred:Education or formal training (e.g. certification, coursework, degree) in quantitative research methodologies, statistics, and/or data science. Knowledge of or experience with the criminal justice system Knowledge of or experience with local, state, or federal government and/or policy making Advanced experience with data visualization and communication tools like Power. BI and Tableau Strong working knowledge of and experience with either R or Python Experience working with large administrative datasets Experience with usability, user experience, product design, or service design Experience using multiple data science and research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Knowledge of:Supervisory principles, practices and techniques. Public Administration and governmental agencies. Legislative process. Principles and techniques of planning. Modern planning research methods, data collection and analysis. Issues pertaining to area of assignment. Strategic planning techniques. Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines. Sources of information, current literature, and recent developments. Administrative and related business principles. Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, statistical packages, presentation/ graphics and related software applications. Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation. May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information. Skill in:Developing short-range and long-range comprehensive plans in development of innovative solutions. Program planning, developing and implementing. Statistical analysis and policy research. Analyzing and evaluating data, policies and technical issues. Setting up systems for conducting analysis and compiling for reports. Coordinating the development and making presentations. Coordinating work of others. Conducting interviews and group meetings. Both verbal and written communication. Ability to:Initiate and develop projects and programs. Apply knowledge to data, policy, and process analysis. Reach sound conclusions and make recommendations. Manage time well and perform multiple tasks, and organize diverse activities. Formulate broad perspectives. Interpreting planning and program objectives to groups and public. Bring together several viewpoints into a balanced position. Compile data and to write clear and comprehensive reports. Maintenance of appropriate records. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, and the general public. Work Environment & Other Information Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 5–20 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, occasional indoor/outdoor activities, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions. Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions. Work Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday. Location: 700 Lavaca, Suite 1530 Austin, Texas 78701 Department: Innovative Justice & Program Analysis. Criminal, Driving, Education, and Employment Background Checks Required. For updates or questions on this position, contact: Kristy. Cano@traviscountytx.gov.

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