Director State Data Initiatives

About Us

Coleridge is building the nation’s data infrastructure, analytical tools, and public-sector capacity so governments can harness administrative data to make more informed decisions and accelerate impact.

Position Summary

The Director, State Data Initiatives, leads assigned policy domains and state engagements within Coleridge’s state portfolio. Reporting to the Vice President, State Data Initiatives, the Director brings substantial state-government and administrative data expertise to partnership development, technical assistance, and project delivery. The role helps states strengthen their capacity to use administrative data for policy, research, and public impact in coordination with other staff to ensure quality project execution.

The Director provides substantive leadership within assigned domains, such as education, workforce development, human services, or economic mobility, and serves as project lead for designated engagements. The role owns the substantive direction and successful delivery of assigned projects, coordinates project contributors, and works with internal teams to align partner needs, resources, and commitments. Domain and engagement assignments are determined by the VP based on expertise, partner needs, and organizational priorities aligned with other staff roles.

Essential Job Functions

Domain Leadership & State Advisory Support (40%)

• Assess state agency priorities, institutional context, data capacity, and readiness for administrative data collaboration; develop practical recommendations and implementation approaches.
• Advise state partners on cross-agency collaboration, data governance and stewardship, evidence-building priorities, and the use of administrative data to address policy and program questions.
• Apply knowledge of state decision-making, budget and procurement processes, interagency relationships, and policy environments to help partners navigate implementation challenges.
• Lead substantive discussions with agency leaders, program staff, data stewards, researchers, legal counsel, and technical teams to define use cases, clarify requirements, and build alignment.
• Work with Coleridge’s research, technical, and operational experts to ensure recommendations are feasible and reflect applicable data access, privacy, and security requirements.
• Lead assigned policy domains, developing domain priorities with the VP, maintaining relevant state and policy expertise, and identifying opportunities for partnerships, applied research, and cross-state learning.

Project Leadership & Delivery (40%)

• Serve as project lead for designated state engagements from scoping and initiation through implementation and closeout, with accountability for substantive direction, partner alignment, quality of deliverables, and delivery against agreed scope, timelines, and budgets.
• Define project objectives, intended outcomes, substantive workstreams, and acceptance criteria with state partners and internal teams; translate domain and portfolio priorities into workplans, resource needs, and clear responsibilities.
• Direct the substantive work of assigned project teams, consultants, and subject matter experts. Partner with the Project Management Lead and assigned project managers on schedules, task tracking, dependencies, budget monitoring, risks, and reporting, retaining accountability as project lead for engagement outcomes.
• Monitor progress across assigned projects and domains, resolve substantive and partner issues within delegated authority, assess proposed scope changes and their resource implications, and escalate decisions requiring VP or organizational leadership involvement.
• Serve as the substantive relationship lead for assigned state engagements, maintaining relationships with state stakeholders, partners, organizations, and lead complex agency-level issues via cross-functional coordination.
• Use partner feedback and engagement outcomes to improve technical assistance, delivery approaches, and the effectiveness of the state portfolio.
• Support other Coleridge activities as needed including training, and other research products.

Partnership Development & External Contribution (20%)

• Partner with the VP and other staff to identify and assess new state opportunities, including partner needs, strategic fit, readiness, and the resources required for successful delivery.
• Contribute substantive expertise to proposals, scopes of work, technical approaches, pricing assumptions, and contract renewals in collaboration with relevant internal teams.
• Maintain and build new relationships with state leaders and cross-sector partners that support sustained engagement in collaboration with other staff to ensure increased state value and support mission-aligned growth.
• Represent Coleridge at selected conferences, working groups, and partner convenings and contribute to presentations and written resources.
• Provide substantive input on convening themes, agendas, speakers, and peer-learning opportunities in coordination with the staff responsible for event planning and execution.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of relevant experience in state government, administrative data initiatives such as Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) or P20W integrated data efforts, public policy, applied research, technical assistance, or public-sector program improvement, including leadership of complex state engagements.
• Demonstrated substantive experience working within or closely with state government agencies on administrative data initiatives required; prior employment in a state agency strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of how state agencies operate, including decision-making structures, interagency coordination, budget and procurement processes, and policy and implementation constraints.
• Deep subject matter expertise in at least one relevant policy area, such as K–12 education, postsecondary education, workforce development, human services, corrections, or economic mobility, with the ability to lead state engagements in that domain.
• Experience helping agencies develop or implement cross-agency data collaborations, governance approaches, readiness assessments, learning agendas, data use agreements, or evidence-building initiatives.
• Understanding of how administrative data is collected, managed, linked, and used, with the ability to connect technical considerations to policy and operational goals.
• Demonstrated experience serving as project or engagement lead for complex state initiatives, including responsibility for substantive approach, multidisciplinary team direction, partner relationships, deliverable quality, scope, timelines, and budgets.
• Experience coordinating consultants, subject matter experts, and multidisciplinary project contributors, including the ability to secure alignment and follow-through across organizational functions.
• Strong facilitation, presentation, and relationship management, and communication skills, including the ability to translate complex data, governance, and policy issues for varied audiences.
• Advance degree preferred or Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and equivalent combination of education and experience required;.
• Familiarity with secure data environments, restricted-use data, privacy-preserving research workflows, dashboards, or data visualization preferred.

Salary Range: $135k to $155k annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Coleridge is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory, welcoming work environment.

The Coleridge team operates under the core values of Trust, Connectedness, Quality, and Adaptability via our work, collaboration, and decision-making These values guide how we engage with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders and are an important component of performance and professional growth.

Work environment & physical demands

This is a remote-based position but east coast is preferred. Work may be programmed for weekdays, weekends, and evenings. Some travel is required. The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Duties require the employee to regularly talk and hear; sit or stand for extended periods of time at a desk or computer workstation; occasionally walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.; occasionally climb or balance and stoop, kneel or crouch; occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.