Senior Platform Developer

Senior Platform Developer - (Education, Census & GIS Analytics)

Position Overview

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is seeking a highly skilled Data Analyst / Statistical Data Specialist to support statewide data and analytics initiatives. This role will focus on integrating and analyzing education, demographic, and socioeconomic datasets to inform policy decisions, equity-based funding models, and strategic planning efforts.

The resource will leverage U.S. Census data (including American Community Survey - ACS) and apply advanced statistical and geospatial methodologies to deliver actionable insights that support student outcomes, resource allocation, and program effectiveness across Illinois.

This position requires close coordination with ISBE program areas, data governance teams, and technical stakeholders to ensure delivery of high-quality, policy-relevant analytics aligned with State and federal reporting standards.

Scope of Work / Key Responsibilities

Data Integration & Management

• Integrate, cleanse, and standardize data from ISBE systems and external sources (e.g., U.S. Census, ACS, socioeconomic datasets).

• Ensure data integrity, consistency, and alignment with ISBE data governance standards.

• Support development of reusable data assets and analytical datasets for statewide reporting.

Statistical Analysis & Modeling

• Conduct advanced statistical analysis on student enrollment, demographic trends, and population projections using ACS and Census data.

• Support design and evaluation of equity-based funding models, including:

  • Weighted funding calculations

  • Resource allocation simulations

  • Socioeconomic and demographic impact analysis

• Apply statistical methodologies, including:

  • Data normalization and transformation

  • Factor analysis and multivariate modeling

  • Weighted index development and composite indicators

  • Survey data analysis using sampling weights

Geospatial Analysis (GIS)

• Perform spatial analysis and geospatial data transformations to support district and statewide planning.

• Execute:

  • Spatial disaggregation (district, county, census tract, block group levels)

  • Geographic aggregation and boundary alignment for reporting

  • Mapping of education metrics with demographic and socioeconomic overlays

• Apply small area estimation (SAE) methodologies to improve reliability and accuracy of estimates at granular geographic levels.

• Utilize GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS) for spatial modeling, analysis, and visualization.

Performance Analysis & Reporting

• Conduct district and school-level performance analysis by integrating multiple datasets.

• Identify trends, disparities, and improvement opportunities aligned with ISBE priorities.

• Develop dashboards, visualizations, and analytical reports using Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.

Stakeholder Engagement & Delivery

• Collaborate with ISBE program offices, policy teams, and technical staff to define analytical requirements.

• Translate complex analytical outputs into clear, actionable insights for executive and non-technical audiences.

• Support ad hoc data requests and policy-driven analysis initiatives.

Governance, Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure compliance with ISBE data governance policies, security standards, and applicable federal/state reporting requirements.

• Maintain documentation of data sources, methodologies, assumptions, and analytical processes.

• Support audit readiness and transparency of analytical outputs.

Deliverables

• Integrated and validated datasets combining education, Census, and socioeconomic data

• Enrollment projections and demographic trend analyses

• Equity-based funding models and supporting analytical frameworks

• District and school performance dashboards and reports

• GIS-based spatial analysis outputs and thematic maps

• Interactive dashboards and visualization tools

• Comprehensive documentation (methodologies, assumptions, data lineage)

• Executive briefings and policy-support insights

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience working with U.S. Census data, including American Community Survey (ACS).

• Strong proficiency in:

  • Python (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, StatsModels)

  • R

  • SQL

• Demonstrated experience with advanced statistical analysis, including:

  • Data transformations (normalization, standardization)

  • Multivariate analysis and factor modeling

  • Weighted index development

  • Survey data analysis with sampling weights

• Hands-on experience with GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS) for spatial analysis and transformations.

• Experience developing dashboards and data visualizations (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).

• Strong understanding of data governance, data quality, and analytical best practices.

• Ability to communicate complex analytical concepts to business and policy stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting State Education Agencies (SEA) or K-12 data systems.

• Familiarity with ISBE or similar education reporting frameworks and metrics.

• Experience with Census APIs, automated ETL/data pipelines, and reproducible analytics workflows.

• Experience in equity-focused analytics and socioeconomic impact modeling.

• Knowledge of federal and state education reporting requirements and compliance standards.