SAS Programmer/Data Analyst

Job Description

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values:

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.

• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.

• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.

• We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate's experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.

Position Overview: TEA's Performance Reporting division seeks to ensure continuous improvement in the academic achievement of all Texas public school students by developing and implementing transparent, rigorous, and fair academic accountability systems; providing accurate and comprehensive academic performance reporting systems, tools, and trackers; and monitoring and validating data to ensure the integrity of these systems.

The SAS Programmer/Data Analyst will perform highly complex, senior-level programming tasks to create datasets, reporting, and other tools and utility programs to provide actionable insights into student performance across the state. The programmer will assist in the creation and maintenance of applications that support the processing of accountability and other data and will be responsible for configuring data download systems to provide timely and accurate data to districts and the general public. This position sits in the Data & Reporting Infrastructure team in the Division of Performance Reporting and will work under minimal supervision.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

Essential Functions

Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Accountability Tools and Trackers: Own the design, development, and delivery of assigned tools and trackers (like AEA Registration, CCMR Verifier & Tracker, HB3 Reimbursements, etc.) for TEAL and Public deliveries by serving as the primary architect, programmer, and data processor. Perform complex SAS design, coding, testing, quality control, and documentation as well as data ETL operations necessary for the delivery of these TEAL apps.

2. TXschools.gov Map and Modal Data: Assist in delivery, updates, and enhancements to the TXschools.gov site and backend assets by owning the design, development, and delivery of assigned program components and data structures.

3. State Performance Reporting: Own the design, development, and delivery of these TPRS reports and other related State Performance Reporting (PR) programs by serving as the primary architect, data processor, and programmer. Perform complex SAS design, coding, testing, quality control, and documentation as well as data ETL operations necessary for the delivery.

4. Enhancements and Efficiency Gains: Support various system improvements through enhancement requests. Contribute to CI/CD process and tools adoption by PR Div by evaluating, configuring, and tweaking to specific scenarios. Contribute to ongoing continuous improvement, maintenance, and efficiency gains by critically examining and exposing current shortcomings and exploring, recommending, and implementing innovative solutions.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university

• Experience: At least four (4) years of experience in SAS programming, including systems analysis, design, unit and functional testing, SQL programming basics, coding and reviewing complex programs, data validation, working with large databases, and performing statistical data analysis

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military

• Experience with SAS programming language, constructs, IDEs (e.g. SAS Studio and SAS Enterprise Guide) and standards for writing and reviewing complex programming, data validation techniques, and working with large databases

• Experience with designing, developing, and maintaining modern web pages involving React.js framework, Javascript, Jquery, JSON, HTML5, CSS, etc

• Familiarity with modern Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) concepts, processes, and DevOps tooling like Jira, Bitbucket, Jenkins, etc.

• Experience in accurately performing program peer reviews, unit tests, and web checks in collaboration with other internal teams

• Ability to clearly document processes, programs, testcases, and test results with attention to detail

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple projects and ensure accurate and high-quality work

• Demonstrated desire to acquire expert knowledge and build skills necessary to effectively fulfill position's essential job functions and responsibilities

• Ability to analyze and interpret a wide variety of education data, prepare summary reports, and perform statistical analyses to inform decision-making

• Demonstrated willingness to accept direction, feedback, and suggestions for improvement in a positive and proactive manner

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.

To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State's Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military "occupational category" that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.

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