Data Analyst

About Us:

The Center for Education Market Dynamics (CEMD) is on a mission to improve academic outcomes for underserved students by expanding access to high-quality curriculum and instruction. As a leading nonprofit in K–12 market intelligence, we believe that better data leads to better decisions, and ultimately, better opportunities for students.

At CEMD, we work to equip education leaders with the insights they need to make informed, strategic choices about curriculum and instructional materials. We serve as a trusted hub for K–12 education data, making complex information accessible, actionable, and impactful.

We do this by:

• Developing a comprehensive K–12 dataset to track curriculum selection trends across districts.
• Sharing insights for the public good to inform strategy, policy, and decision-making.
• Providing tools and services that help districts and education leaders take strategic, data-driven actions on behalf of students.

We are a passionate and collaborative team that values curiosity, action, and impact. If you're excited about using the power of data to shape the future of education, we'd love to have you join us!

CEMD is a fiscally sponsored project of Cambiar Education.

About the Role

The Data Analyst brings their experiences in K-12 education to play a key role in shaping how we turn data into insights, ensuring our work drives impact in the education market. This role leads data analyses and insight delivery, collaborating with Research Managers and supporting project teams to deliver strategic data and solutions to our partners and clients.

What you’ll do:

As a CEMD Data Analyst, you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead analyses of CEMD aggregated data, from framing the question through cleaning, analysis, and a written summary of findings and meaningful insights.
• Establish effective methods for delivering project insights and results; ensure clear, concise written and verbal communication with internal and external stakeholders
• Improve how we collect and validate data, including documentation, QA checks, and reproducible code in GitHub
• Develop a strong knowledge of key datasets, both internal and external
• Apply your technical skills to extract and analyze data, as well as your communication skills to present quantitative analysis to stakeholders
• Translate data into data visualizations and dashboards to drive decision-making
• Craft recommendations for the overall project plan as well as various research tasks
• Take action to solve ambiguous problems
• Bring fresh ideas; in partnership with the Research Manager, elevate new insights and make recommendations for research and analysis
• Effectively communicate across teams to make progress towards aligned objectives

This role is for you if:

• A systems thinker who can design clean, scalable data models from messy, real-world inputs.
• A builder who enjoys automating workflows and improving operational efficiency.
• A quality-focused analyst who prioritizes data integrity and consistency.
• A proactive self-starter who can navigate ambiguity and drive projects forward.
• A strong communicator who can clearly document schemas, definitions, and technical decisions.
• A collaborative partner comfortable working cross-functionally with analysts, researchers, product, and leadership.

What We're Looking For:

We are looking for someone with experience in the education ecosystem, who loves working both independently and as a team, to solve complex problems in a role that is a blend of technical proficiency, strategic thinking and effective communication. Additionally, we seek:

• A curious learner who is not just executing research but actively shaping how it drives impact
• A proactive self-starter who can take initiative and drive projects forward without requiring extensive direction
• An action-oriented collaborator, who can prioritize, multitask, work independently and meet deadlines
• An attentive analyst with strong focus on the the details
• An action-oriented strategist who can balance short-term objectives and long-term goals
• A strong communicator who can translate complex research into accessible insights for a wide array of audiences
• A collaborative partner who thrives in a cross-functional environment
• A creative problem-solver who can adapt solutions in a dynamic, evolving organizational context
• A flexible thinker who can manage ambiguity and multiple priorities in an entrepreneurial, dynamic environment

Your Experience:

• Experience working in K-12 Education systems, either within school districts, state education agencies, or at an organization serving the K-12 market
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to analyze and synthesize data sets
• Experience writing complex SQL (multi-table joins, window functions) and reshaping datasets in R or Python.
• Experience with creating dashboards using data visualization tools in Tableau
• Experience with business Intelligence tools such as PowerBi, Tableau, Looker, Quicksight, etc.
• Experience automating connections of data across multiple systems
• Experience with version control systems, including GitHub, for code collaboration and workflow optimization
• Bachelor’s degree with at least 3+ years of relevant experience in data science, analytics or research role

What You Can Expect:

• A motivated, dedicated team that cares about improving education and public data to drive better outcomes for students, especially those in underserved communities
• A highly-collaborative virtual environment with opportunities to learn from, and with, others across a range of expertise and backgrounds
• A flexible work culture that is human-centered and supports your growth
• Opportunities to engage and collaborate with leaders at leading nonprofits, foundations, and organizations driving impactful work in education

What you'll get:

• Salary range of $75-95K per year depending on experience
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision benefits
• Paid vacation and sick time, plus organizationally-observed holidays throughout the year
• Access to optional benefits such as 401(k) Retirement Plan, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), HSA/FSA, pet insurance, etc.
• Stipends to partially cover phone and internet costs, home office set-up, and wellness
• Team retreats and meetings during the year to meet your teammates or see our work in-person
• A motivated, dedicated team that cares about improving education and public data to drive better outcomes for students, especially those in underserved communities
• A highly-collaborative environment with opportunities to learn from and with others across a range of expertise and backgrounds
• A flexible work culture that is human-centered and supports your growth

Our Core Values:

We’re committed to living our organization's core values:

• CREATE 🌎 We create to make a transformative difference in the world. We are eternally optimistic and develop game-changing solutions.
• LOVE ❤️ We do this work because we believe in the tremendous talent and human potential of all; we seek to discover, engage, and celebrate everyone's unique "superpowers." We seek out and lean into diverse ideas, joyful debates, and direct feedback.
• GROW 🌱 We have an insatiable curiosity, love big challenges, and aren't afraid to fail. We accelerate growth and impact so change agents and change efforts reach their fullest potential.
• LAUGH 😄 We laugh often and out loud; creativity is best fostered when we are having fun! We defer judgment so we can all laugh, dance, sing, and express "like no one is watching."
• DARE 🚀 We dare to dream big, take bold action, and challenge the impossible. We embrace risk, push boundaries, and step into the unknown with strength and courage, knowing that growth lies beyond comfort.

Work environment:

Although our team works remotely, you are expected to engage in overnight travel at least 2x throughout the year to various US cities to meet up with other team members (in-person retreats, other program-related meetings and events), and be ready to play an active role in contributing to our collaborative, inclusive culture.

We’re looking for applicants who are comfortable working remotely and who have experience successfully collaborating with team members across different time zones. Your core working days and hours will be M-F from 8am-6pm, with the ability to flex according to workload, scheduled calls and in-person/virtual meetings.

About Cambiar Education:

We turn innovative ideas into action and impact. We created Cambiar to change the marketplace for education innovation to prove undeniably that every student can succeed and thrive. Cambiar operates at the speed of innovation, propelling 100+ groundbreaking ventures led by founders with unshakeable optimism and courage; building in-house initiatives that serve 27+ million students in areas with the greatest potential for change; and cultivating a formidable community of connected ventures, anchored in our commitment to creating solutions for the most vulnerable youth. Visit us at cambiareducation.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

Our Equal Opportunity Employer Intentions:

At Cambiar Education, we believe everyone can make a positive impact. To support that view, we aim to cultivate an inclusive workplace that champions educational success for all and advances the communities we serve. We believe that a variety of perspectives and experiences strengthens our community and enhances our impact. Our commitment to provide an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where every individual feels respected and valued, underscores our mission of creating life changing impact for one million youth.

Cambiar Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locks, and twists), ethnicity, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, sex (including childbirth, breast feeding, and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniform service member and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, age (40 and over), protected medical condition (including cancer and genetic conditions), genetic information, disability (mental and physical), reproductive health decision-making, medical leave or other types of protected leave (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promotions, transfers, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Together, we can create a welcoming environment that empowers every member of our community.