Public Defense Research and Data Analyst

This recruitment will be used to fill a Career Service position and to create an eligibility pool to fill vacancies that may occur within the next six (6) months. The King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking individual to serve as our Public Defense Research and Data and Analyst. This position is responsible for carrying out technical support, data, and system configuration tasks of moderate complexity as directed, exercising sound judgment in day-to-day execution to prioritize assigned requests, identify appropriate solutions, and determine when issues require escalation or coordination. The position works across multiple systems and functional areas, including case management, databases, reporting, website and information management platforms, and related SaaS applications. Working under the direction of the Director of Data Analytics, and in close collaboration with the Department's eDefender Administrator as a technical thought partner, the Research and Data Analyst supports process and system improvements, assists with the implementation and testing of enhancements, and provides accurate and timely data and technical products in response to operational, policy, strategic planning, and programmatic needs. The position regularly collaborates with department staff, leadership, technical partners, and other key interested partners. The successful candidate should also be aware of significant national trends in public defense. This recruitment may be used to fill a Career Service (CS), Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Research and Data Analyst position, and to establish an eligibility list for vacancies that may occur within the next six months. TLT and SDAs may last up to 12 months and may be extended or end early based on business needs. The Department’s Mission Statement The King County Department of Public Defense represents indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty. Our department is an independent voice that advocates for their objectives, interests, and dignity.

DPD provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), and sex offender commitment proceedings.

DPD advocates to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal and civil legal systems that restrict our clients’ liberty, and advances policy reforms to reduce systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework. To learn more about DPD, visit our website.Essential job functions and duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the department’s research, data and analytics operations and resources. Make critical decisions related to technology procurement and implementation, and coordinate the evaluation, deployment, and management of current and future technologies.
• Oversee requirements, technical development, selection, testing, deployment, training, and operational support for the department’s information systems and applications.
• Build and maintain strong collaboration with end users and leadership to ensure information system and application needs are met or exceeded.
• Ensure research, data, and analytics operations comply with applicable laws, regulations, King County standards, and security requirements; establish and maintain effective governance structures supporting data privacy and security.
• Lead the research, collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to assess DPDs client programs and services.
• In collaboration with Director’s Office leadership, help define assessment, research and evaluation priorities that support data driven decision-making and organizational improvement.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of information systems, applications and data collection activities.
• Lead the data and analytics team to provide high-level in-house expertise on cutting-edge public defense services.
• Advance fair and equitable data practices that reduce burden, uncover inequities, and work collaboratively with department leadership to increase access to public data whenever possible.
• Serve as the department’s liaison to internal and external partners on data presentations, as well as assessment and evaluation findings and approaches.
• Manage multiple ongoing projects in an environment of changing priorities, time constraints, and budget limitations; identify and determine scope of work for sustainability of new and existing projects.

Public Defense Research and Data Analyst duties and essential functions may include:

• Provide technical support to Department staff on software applications and case management systems, including triaging, prioritizing, and resolving support tickets submitted by non-technical staff; distinguish break/fix issues from enhancement requests, training needs, and non-system requests, and escalate as appropriate.
• Ability to travel throughout King County in a timely manner.
• Independently manage complex configuration, business-rule development, and system integration work within the Department’s eDefender case management system (part of the eSeries/eCourt suite), coordinating with the eDefender Administrator to align on shared system architecture and priorities.
• Independently develop and troubleshoot business rules and configuration logic within eDefender, in coordination with the eDefender Administrator on shared system standards.
• Independently write and troubleshoot complex SQL queries (T-SQL/PL-SQL) to support eDefender configuration, data extraction, and reporting needs.
• Test configurations, updates, and enhancements within the Department's SaaS case management solution to verify functionality before deployment.
• Develop and deliver in-person training sessions for Department staff on software applications, and create and maintain training documentation, user guides, and process documentation.
• Manage and maintain the Department's website using Sitecore, including content updates, page maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Assist in the management, organization, and governance of documents and records within Office 365 and SharePoint, including folder structures, permissions, and version control support.
• Query, clean, and standardize data from the Department's in-house case assignment and management databases to support accurate reporting and analysis.
• Independently analyze complex ad-hoc data requests and deliver actionable insights directly to Department leadership to inform policy and resource decisions, often under deadline.
• Support colleagues in building technical proficiency and confidence using Department data systems and software applications.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Sociology, Anthropology, Public Administration, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field, and two or more years of relevant experience in technical support, systems configuration, or data analysis; OR any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work.

• Have working knowledge of SQL (T-SQL or PL-SQL) sufficient to write and troubleshoot queries for configuration, reporting, and data extraction purposes.

• Have experience with, or the ability to learn, scripting/business-rule languages such as Groovy or Velocity, or comparable logic-based configuration languages, to support case management system customization.

• Have demonstrated experience providing technical support to non-technical staff, including triaging and resolving software support requests in a professional, customer-focused manner.

• Have experience with, or the ability to quickly learn, eDefender or a similar eSeries-based case management system (eCourt, eProsecutor, eSupervision), including its forms, workflow, and search configuration tools.

• Are comfortable working with SaaS technology solutions and have experience testing configurations, enhancements, or integrations of low to moderate complexity.

• Have experience creating training materials and delivering training to staff with varying levels of technical proficiency.

• Have experience with, or the ability to quickly learn, Sitecore or similar content management systems for website administration.

• Have experience optimizing and maintaining documents and information within Office 365 and SharePoint, including organizational structure and access management.

• Have demonstrated experience interacting with and analyzing raw data, including cleaning and standardizing data for reporting purposes.

• Can interact with a broad range of stakeholders — including staff, leadership, and external partners — to understand needs, translate them into workable solutions, and communicate technical information clearly to non-technical audiences.

• Have strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple, sometimes competing, priorities to produce accurate and timely work products.

• Have a basic understanding of project management principles and the ability to support projects of varying size and complexity as a technical resource.

• Apply a lens of equity and social justice in their work and demonstrate inclusive behaviors as a team member.

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and technical skill levels.

Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience working in criminal justice, legal services, or public defense settings.
• Demonstrated experience working in a unionized environment.

King County offers great benefits, to include a pension plan, holidays, transit pass, plus training and education opportunities to promote growth and development. Our focus is to provide our employees with work life balance. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. This opportunity is open to all qualified applicants. To be considered for this role submit the following items:

• Completed King County application.
• A current/chronological resume
• Cover letter detailing your background and what you can bring to the Department of Public Defense.

This recruitment may be used to fill a Career Service, Term-Limited, or Special Duty Assignment, and to establish an eligibility list for vacancies that may occur within the next six months. Term-Limited Temporary and Special Duty Assignments may last up to 12 months and may be extended or end early based on business needs. Note: Special Duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees that have completed their initial probation. Special Duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment. Pay Upon Special Duty Placement: current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the King County Code/Personnel Guidelines for their base position. The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, references, a personnel file review going back the last three (3) years, and if applicable a background check. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience and attach the required documents to your application.

WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATION The Data and Analytics team works in a hybrid model, with an onsite minimum of three (3) days per week. During the probationary period, employees are required to work onsite four (4) days per week. The ratio of telecommuting to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location for this position is the Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Seattle. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As an exempt employee, you are expected to work the hours necessary to satisfactorily perform your job and will not be eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time. Rotations of work location and practice area and/or workflow are an essential function and can occur based on business need. You may be required to report to any of our Seattle and/or Kent locations. DPD Policies Outside Work Policy for Administrative Staff will apply to employees, such that you must receive approval from your supervisor and Managing Attorney before being permitted to engage in outside employment for compensation or volunteer. Union Membership This position is not represented by a union. Application Process If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Peter Ocholla at [email protected]. King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us. King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here. King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.