Data Verification & Reporting Specialist at Communities in Schools – Arlington, Virginia

WHO WE ARE

In 2020, 11.6 million children in the U.S.—16% of all children nationwide—lived in poverty, and those children were disproportionately children of color. Students living in poverty often have physical and mental health, social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development needs that schools are not equipped to support. Rooted in community for more than 45 years, Communities In Schools (CIS) strives to bring community resources inside public schools, where they are accessible, coordinated, and accountable. CIS Co-Founder Bill Milliken said, “It’s relationships, not programs, that transform children. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children.”

Bill Milliken’s vision is alive through a strong network of trained CIS staff imbedded in schools nationwide building support and relationships inside schools. Today, CIS serves more than 3,500 schools, the overwhelming majority are Title I-eligible schools across two channels: (1) independent affiliates and (2) licensed partnerships. Grounded in the power of transformative relationships to unlock a young person’s potential, CIS has a national, research-based history of delivering local results that support improved student relationships with adults, better-quality relationships with peers, and increased engagement and sense of belonging. These outcomes lead to improved attendance, improved academic success, and improved on-time high school graduation rates.

MISSION AND VALUES

Communities In Schools (CIS) is “all-in” for kids. It is our passion—it is our mission. At the National Office, CIS collaborates with local affiliate organizations to provide resources and create communities of caring adults who work hand-in-hand with educators to make sure young people have the tools they need to stay in school and achieve in life. We are the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization, and we achieve our mission by hiring bright, creative, and innovative team members who demonstrate a passion for what they do.

‘Within the national office, we foster a culture inspired by our mission, our values of integrity, accountability, equity, collaboration, and excellence, and a commitment to Equity, and Inclusion. Our culture is centered on three core tenants:

• We acknowledge contributions and perspectives.
• We collaborate across roles and departments.
• We honor a whole-person approach and encourage balance.

We aim to create a psychologically safe environment where relationships matter, and mutual respect is paramount.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you passionate about using data to strengthen decision-making and help teams work smarter? We’re looking for a Data Verification & Reporting Specialist to own our data verification process end-to-end—helping stakeholders submit accurate data through clear guidance, training, and practical resources.

You’ll create documentation and training, support partners through questions and corrections, and use Excel/Power Query to clean, aggregate, and validate data while tracking progress and trends. You may write SQL to extract data for analysis, but it’s not the primary focus of the role.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Verification and Quality Assurance (40%)

• Lead annual and quarterly data verification cycles in partnership with the Data Quality team, ensuring readiness, clear timelines, and timely completion.
• Clean, aggregate, and validate data using Excel and Power Query to support reporting, publications, and internal monitoring.
• Identify data inconsistencies, gaps, and rule/logic issues; document findings and trends and recommend improvements to reduce repeat errors.
• Conduct root-cause analysis and coordinate with stakeholders to resolve issues and strengthen data entry processes.
• Develop and maintain repeatable QA checks (e.g., validation rules, reconciliation steps, and standardized templates); occasionally write SQL queries/scripts to extract data for analysis (not a primary function).

Process Design, Training & Resource Development (30%)

• Create and maintain clear, user-friendly guidance for data entry and review (job aids, FAQs, step-by-step guides, and examples).
• Plan and deliver trainings, office hours, and presentations for internal teams and the CIS network with strong written and verbal communication.
• Partner with the End User Support Specialist to ensure system changes and data requirements are accurately reflected in training materials and user-facing resources.
• Collaborate with Sr. Data Associates to produce resources that explain CISDM processes and enhancements in a clear, practical way.

System Requirements & Testing Support (15%)

• Review field logic, dropdown values, validation rules, and workflows to ensure alignment with reporting requirements and verification needs.
• Partner with Systems Analyst(s) to test enhancements and bug fixes; document test outcomes and communicate issues clearly.
• Help define and maintain data integrity rules and support documentation (definitions, business rules, and verification guidance).

Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%)

• Work with program, grants, research, and other teams to ensure data structure supports compliance, performance measurement, and reporting needs.
• Serve as a bridge between frontline data entry users and technical teams by translating issues into accessible, actionable language.
• Support the broader Data Quality team during End-of-Year Reporting through coordination, troubleshooting, and targeted support as needed.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable differently-abled individuals to perform the essential functions.

Required qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent years of experience) in education, data analytics, or another related field.
• 6+ years of professional experience in a related role (data quality, reporting/analytics, operations, program data, compliance reporting, or similar).
• 2+ years using Excel (advanced) and Power Query to clean, combine, and validate datasets (e.g., merges/appends, transformations, standardization, deduplication).
• Hands-on experience with data validation, cleaning, reconciliation, and logic checks to improve accuracy and consistency.
• Proven ability to own a complex process from planning through completion—coordinating timelines, communicating clearly, tracking issues, and following through.

Required Skills

• You’re organized and comfortable juggling priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• You can spot patterns in data, explain what they mean, and recommend practical improvements.
• You enjoy helping others succeed—through clear documentation, training, coaching, and support.
• You communicate with clarity and care, especially when translating “data speak” into plain language.
• You bring a user-first mindset and you’re always willing to learn new tools and systems.
• You demonstrate strong problem-solving and critical thinking—with an ability to propose solutions and document next steps.
• You are collaborative, relationship-focused, and comfortable working across teams.

Preferred Skills

• SQL experience for pulling data extracts for analysis (writing or adapting basic queries). This is helpful, but not the focus of the role.
• Familiarity with reporting tools like Power BI or Tableau (reviewing/validating reports, basic visuals).
• Experience supporting end users through a help desk/ticketing system

TRAVEL

Travel up to 10%.

ABOUT US

CIS staff continue to work in a virtual environment; however, the national office is open and available for staff to use as appropriate.

To ensure the health and safety of staff and job applicants, all interviews will be conducted by phone and/or video conference.

BENEFITS & PERKS

Work that makes a difference—the opportunity to contribute to an important mission!

Competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Five weeks of Paid Time Off
• Generous 403b Retirement Savings Plan contribution
• 10 Paid Holidays
• 90% of employee health care premiums paid by the organization
• Summer Work Schedule and Winter Break
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term income replacement programs, and much, much more!

Communities In Schools is committed to a workforce that is representative of the varied communities we are privileged to serve. We provide a work environment that does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable law. CIS prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For more information on Communities In Schools please visit our website.