Senior Research Analyst

SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST

(LAW ENFORCEMENT)

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

THIS RECRUITMENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment is open to the public and will remain open for a minimum of five (5) business days, closing on Friday, November 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list. This list will be used to fill current and future Senior Research Analyst positions within the County of Orange. The current vacancy is within OC Probation. This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications within the County of Orange.

PROBATION DEPARTMENT

OC Probation assists the criminal justice system in Orange County, California by making a safer Orange County through positive change. Under the direction of the Chief Probation Officer, the Probation Department is comprised of three bureaus: Adult Operations, Juvenile Operations and Operations Support. As a public safety agency, the Department serves the community using efficient and research supported corrections practices to reduce crime, assist the Courts in managing clients, promoting lawful and productive lifestyles and assisting victims. You can learn more about the OC Probation Department by clicking here.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Probation Department is seeking a Senior Research Analyst to be responsible for collecting, entering, validating, and analyzing criminal justice data for evaluation and reporting purposes. General duties include the following: production of routine reports; evaluation of various juvenile and adult intervention programs; preparation of information to respond to special requests from other divisions within the Probation Department, as well as from other county agencies. The Senior Research Analyst establishes and collaborates on effective working relationships with probation officers, clerical staff, supervising deputy probation officers, division directors, and partner agencies to prepare for and conduct program/project evaluations. Finally, this position requires extensive research skills, knowledge of the unique limitations in conducting research on potentially vulnerable populations (including supervised adult and juvenile offenders), and a background in criminal justice.

The Senior Research Analyst will be expected to:

• Collaborate with staff/managers to design evaluation plans in order to determine program effectiveness
• Build evaluation databases; write SQL queries to extract data from the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), and complete data entry and perform quality assurance.
• Perform statistical analysis and summarize the results of the analysis into charts, tables, and reports
• Manage State or grant-funded evaluation projects (Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act, SB678, and others), collect and enter data, maintain records, prepare and submit outcome reports
• Prepare executive briefings for Probation's management team, present study findings at meetings and conferences
• Respond to data requests from management, operations staff, other County agencies, and outside agencies

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will have at least (4) four years of experience in conducting applied research, preferably in a criminal justice or social science setting, and will also possess a Bachelor's degree or higher in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, or other related social science field. The ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge of evaluation methods, research design, and statistical analysis, with the ability to effectively organize statistical information at both the program and individual client levels. Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess experience in organizing statistical information into reports using various methods, including tables, charts, and graphs.

In addition, the ideal candidate will possess extensive experience and/or knowledge in the following competencies:

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Understanding of and hands-on experience with complex statistical analysis, research design, and methods of organizing information into reports using tables, charts, and graphs
• Conduct complex professional/technical research and analysis, such as descriptive and inferential statistics, including probability theory, sampling techniques, statistical correlation, frequency distribution, reliability and variability criteria, and regression analysis
• Gathers, analyzes, researches, interprets, and applies relevant data skillfully to respond in creative ways to achieve measurable results
• Methods of data extraction, quality assurance, and management
• OC Probation's Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), including underlying tables
• Evidence-based practices as they relate to criminal justice
• Utilize SPSS or other statistical software to perform complex statistical analysis
• Utilize the following software applications: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Power BI, ArcGIS, and Microsoft SQL Server
• Knowledge of current Federal, State, and local legislation, policies, regulations, and issues that pertain to the Probation department

LEADERSHIP, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Establishing and maintaining productive relationships with all levels of management, peers, and staff within the department and other agencies
• Involving others as appropriate and gathering information from a variety of sources
• Working collaboratively with research staff and program operations staff when developing evaluation plans and determining appropriate outcomes
• Identifying with the larger organizational team and the role required; sharing resources, responding to requests from other parts of the organization, and supporting the Agency's agenda
• Demonstrates good judgment; accurately defines problems/issues, and evaluates and recommends solutions

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Communicating and interacting both verbally and in writing with all levels of staff and managers
• Presenting complex statistical information in a "non-technical" manner to an audience both verbally and in written form

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Click here to learn more about the minimum qualifications for the Senior Research Analyst classification.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

The Probation Department requires that all candidates undergo an extensive background investigation process to the satisfaction of the Department. Candidates must successfully clear prior to the start of their employment. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify the most qualified applicants. After screening, qualified candidates will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All candidates will be notified via email of their status in the process. Completion of a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County may be required.

Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all applications and supplemental responses to identify candidates with qualities that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those candidates that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step. Resumes will not be accepted and/or screened in lieu of applications during the application screening step, therefore, you will need to demonstrate your qualifications on your application.

Application Appraisal Panel | Application Rating (Weighted 100%)

An Application Appraisal Panel (AAP) of job knowledge experts will thoroughly screen and evaluate all application materials for job knowledge, competencies, and related experience described above. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to be detailed and thorough in demonstrating your qualifications. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list.

Based on the department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All applicants will be notified of any changes in the selection procedure.

Eligible List

Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here (Download PDF reader) to review the policy. (Download PDF reader)

Email Notification

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "" and "" If your email address should change, please update your profile at

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Aerie de la Cruz at

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Non-Management Benefits

In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays-we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).

Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.