Job Description

Under general direction in the Director of Data, Research, and Analytics, the SFDA Research Analyst is responsible for conducting qualitative and quantitative analytical work in support of the SFDA’s policy and research agenda.  Essential duties include but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with internal and external partners to develop, oversee, and implement research and evaluation projects related to key issues in criminal and juvenile justice, such as diversion, pretrial detention, victim services, hate crimes, and other;
• Design and implement qualitative and quantitative research projects to support internal operational improvements and policy priorities.
• Prepare and present written reports, presentations, and statistical reports, including charts, graphs and other data visualizations to attorneys, criminal and juvenile justice system partners, and City of SF decision-makers;
• Maintain performance measurement metrics and dashboards for managers and executive staff;
• Study current literature on prosecutorial performance measurement, research methodology, criminology, law enforcement issues, juvenile justice, etc. and make appropriate recommendations for improvements in data-driven prosecution practices;
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with SPSS and R, and other statistics suites.
• Ability to identify, research, and gather relevant information from a variety qualitative, quantitative, and text-based sources; read and interpret complex written materials; analyze and evaluate data, procedures, interrelated processes and other information; formulate conclusions and/or alternatives and develop effective recommendations.
• Experience with data visualization in Excel, Power BI or Tableau to clearly present analytical results.
• Skill to prepare and present written reports, memos, presentations, and detailed statistical reports, including charts, graphs, and exhibits to trial attorneys, law enforcement partners, and decision-makers.
• Organizational ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines and expectations, and weigh resources and time bandwidth of current and upcoming responsibilities.
• Communication ability to effectively formulate reports and recommendations, provide presentations, and work collaboratively with internal and external partners including law enforcement professionals and decision-makers.

Qualifications

1. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university; and one (1) year full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work, as described in Note A; OR 
2. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university with major coursework as described in Note B; OR
3. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, and two (2) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work as described in Note A; OR
4. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework as described in Note B and one (1) year full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work as described in Note A.

Substitution

 Applicants may substitute up to 2 years of the required education with additional qualifying experience in budget analysis, financial analysis and reporting, legislative/policy analysis, or contract/grant administration. One year (2000 hours) of additional qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

Notes on Qualifying Experience and Education:

Note A

Qualifying professional-level analytical experience must be in one or more of the following functional areas: complex budget analysis, development and administration; complex financial/fiscal analysis and reporting; development of complex contracting systems and administration of competitive bid processes and complex contractual agreements; development and evaluation of complex management/administrative policy; complex grant administration and monitoring; complex program evaluation and planning; complex legislative analysis; complex economic analysis; or other functional areas related to the duties of positions in Class 1822, where the primary focus of the job is complex professional-level analysis for evaluation, recommendation, development and implementation of major programs and functions of department/organization. Analytical experience equivalent to the duties of Class 1820 is considered qualifying.

Note B

Coursework applicable to a baccalaureate or higher degree in specialized subject matter areas such as public or business administration, management, business law, contract law, public policy, urban studies, economics, statistical analysis, finance, accounting or other fields of study closely related to the essential functions of positions in Class 1822.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The following desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring: 

• Master’s degree in public policy, sociology, criminology or other relevant field.
• Professional experience working for a criminal justice agency.
• Professional experience working in a policy research organization.
• Knowledge and familiarity of business intelligence programming languages and database administration such as R, SQL, Oracle, etc.
• Knowledge and familiarity of statistical analysis applications such as Stata, SPSS, and ESRI ArcGIS.

NOTE - CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: SECURITY CLEARANCE

Security clearance is required as a condition of employment. Candidates for employment with the District Attorney’s Office are required to undergo a background investigation to determine suitability for employment in the classification and department.  Failure to maintain security clearance may be the basis for termination from employment with the District Attorney’s Office

Additional Information

SELECTION PROCEDURES/EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS:

This is a Position Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11A.

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

1. Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ); and
2. Written Core Exam

Qualified candidates will be sent the MQSQ via email for completion prior to the creation of the eligible list.  The notice will include the date by which responses must be received.  Failure to complete the document by the established deadline will result in disqualification.

Written Core Examination: (Weight: 100%) Candidates will be invited to participate in a written, multiple-choice examination, designed to measure their relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas. The “core” multiple-choice examination component may include but not be limited to:

• Ability to evaluate/analyze information/data and to exercise good judgment relative to that evaluation or analysis;
• Ability to communicate written information (includes ability to proofread);
• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, financial/fiscal principles (including the ability to use mathematical and statistical formulas);
• Ability to comprehend and understand written information;
• Ability to use various computer software programs;
• Ability to conduct research;
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships;
• Knowledge of, and the ability to apply, principles, practices and procedures involving office operations.

This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and test answers are not available for public inspection or review.

You will receive one or more scores with respect to the multiple-choice exam component. One will correspond to the core test component and, should any specialty subtests be added to that component, you may receive one or more additional “specialty” scores. Any scores attained on these components will be valid and "banked" for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take any test components for which you have already attained a score. This core test is also used for 1820 Junior Administrative Analyst, 1822 Administrative Analyst and 1823 Senior Administrative Analyst, and the subtest is also used for 1824 Principal Administrative Analyst, therefore your test scores may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the selection process for the future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes any of these components [i.e., core exam or specialty subtest(s)], your score(s) for the corresponding test component(s) will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score(s) to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test component(s). Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which the test component (core or specialty subtest) is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.

ELIGIBLE LIST/SCORE REPORT:

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be twelve (12) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten Scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

TERMS OF ANNOUNCEMENT:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.