Manager, Data Operations and Insights

Position Summary 

The Implementation and Evaluation (I&E) Team guides KnowledgeWorks in charting a clear, evidence-informed path that helps advance and refine our strategy in pursuit of equitable, meaningful outcomes. The I&E team promotes calibration to what’s working and identifies what isn’t or what needs to shift. We align project implementation with strong evaluation practices to generate actionable insights, mitigate risk, build capacity, and promote continuous learning. We cultivate alignment across teams by modeling a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement to move in a shared direction toward our collective goals. Using our data and evaluation expertise, we measure KnowledgeWorks’ impact and enable our geographies to use data, advance the quality of KnowledgeWorks research and evaluation work, and support the use of KnowledgeWorks data infrastructure.

The Manager, Data Operations and Insights is part of the I&E team and reports to the Director, Strategic Impact and Learning. This is an ideal position for someone who thrives in bringing order to complexity; connecting people with the information they need; and building systems that help teams learn, collaborate, and make better decisions. This position coordinates data operations, knowledge management, and insight-sharing efforts that turn information into actionable knowledge and strengthen organizational learning and impact. 

This position exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.

As part of the larger KnowledgeWorks team, this position will actively participate in our ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice work. We are reflecting and improving our internal culture, as well as growing our competencies to effectively engage in education systems change with our partners. Engaging in this work is an essential part of each team member’s personal professional development, external capability building and contribution to the culture and work of KnowledgeWorks. 

Core Responsibilities

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT & INSIGHTS ENABLEMENT

• Co-lead and help build the structure, upkeep, and usability of the I&E team’s knowledge management and evidence-sharing systems, including an Insights Hub and other repositories of evaluation, implementation, and learning assets.
• Ensure that data, insights, tools, and related documentation are organized, accessible, and maintained in ways that support continuity, reduce ad hoc work and strengthen institutional memory.
• Support the development of repeatable insight products, summaries, and synthesis materials—including board and impact reports—that help make I&E team findings more usable across the organization.
• Prepare and organize information that supports internal sensemaking, insight-sharing, and decision-making processes.
• Support the handoff from analysis and evaluation outputs to broader team and organizational use. 

DATA MANAGEMENT, GOVERNANCE, & WORKFLOW STEWARDSHIP

• Steward day-to-day data workflows that support the collection, organization, storage, documentation, and use of data, including the storage and access of evaluation instruments.
• Develop, maintain, and improve standard operating procedures, documentation, and shared norms related to data management and use.
• Support effective data governance practices, including attention to data quality, validation, access, documentation, and responsible use of AI-enabled tools.
• Help ensure that the team’s data practices are consistent, efficient, and aligned with evolving organizational needs and priorities.
• Coordinate with internal partners, including IT and others, to communicate team needs related to data systems, workflows, and infrastructure—helping translate program and evaluation needs into clear requirements.

DATA PROJECT COORDINATION & INTERNAL WORK MANAGEMENT

• Coordinate timelines, workflows, dependencies, and deliverables across data-, evaluation- and insights-related projects and workstreams.
• Support the rollout and coordination of key frameworks and evaluation efforts (e.g., results framework) by helping organize the process, track next steps, and clarify roles and handoffs.
• Support planning, tracking, and follow-through for assigned projects by helping to clarify next steps, roles, handoffs, and project-related needs.
• Help manage internal teamwork processes and priorities connected to this role’s portfolio in order to strengthen coordination and reduce inefficiencies.
• Support coordination with external research, evaluation, and data-related partners, including helping to clarify scopes of work, deliverables, and timelines.
• Maintain project documentation and provide regular updates, status tracking, and other coordination support as needed to move work forward effectively. 

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION & TEAM/ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT 

• Contribute to I&E team priorities, processes, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Support cross-functional collaboration by working with other KnowledgeWorks teams to strengthen alignment, information-sharing, and the effective use of data and insights.
• Participate in team meetings, cross-team meetings, organizational meetings, and other collaborative structures as needed.
• Contribute to special projects, pilots, or organizational efforts that benefit from strong coordination, documentation, or data stewardship.
• Serve on ad hoc or standing committees, as assigned, in support of team and organizational priorities.

Education and Experience

• 5+ years of relevant experience in areas such as data management, project/program coordination, knowledge management, and/or applied research or evaluation support; OR
• Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g., data or information management, education, social science, public administration, or a related discipline) and 3+ years of relevant experience; OR 
• Master's degree in a related field and 1+ years of relevant experience

Within your first 30 days you will:

• Gain an understanding of KnowledgeWorks’ mission, programmatic offerings, and strategic priorities
• Gain familiarity with KnowledgeWorks’ current data and knowledge management tools, processes, and structures
• Start to establish relationships with key internal staff, within the I&E team and across other teams

Within your first 60 days you will:

• Deepen understanding of the I&E team’s data management and project documentation practices and start to identify gaps and opportunities
• Establish a working relationship with the staff leading KnowledgeWorks’ data infrastructure project
• Collaborate on the initial development of a data workflow inventory (i.e., identify and catalog KnowledgeWorks’ current data workflows)
• Develop initial set of recommendations for I&E team standard operating procedures related to data management and use

Within your first 6 months you will:

• Co-develop an initial draft model for an Insights hub (or other repository) for centralizing data, implementation, and learning assets
• Identify key data system and infrastructure requirements needed to house and share key organizational insights
• Develop processes for the creation of repeatable insights products, such as impact reports and summary/synthesis materials
• Meaningfully contribute to the standardization and improvement of the I&E team’s systems and processes

What KnowledgeWorks Can Offer You:

• Flexible Schedule
• Cell Phone Stipend
• 401K Match Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Matching Gifts Program

If you don’t meet every single requirement listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. Studies have shown that candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are less likely to apply to postings where they don’t meet every qualification exactly as written. KnowledgeWorks is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace that fuels our innovation. 

KnowledgeWorks prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against all individuals based on their age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. 

Moreover, KnowledgeWorks takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.