OPEN POSITIONS

We are seeking a highly motivated full-time Research Analyst to join Trailhead Strategies in support of the Inland Empire / Desert Region Center of Excellence for Labor Market Information.

Strategies is a growing workforce, health, and human services consulting company established in 2022 in San Diego, California. Our mission is to partner with clients to support families, invest in workers, and strengthen communities. Our clients include state and local governments, philanthropies, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, and employers.  

For more information, please visit us at: Trailheadstrat.com 

Beginning in January of 2023, Trailhead Strategies was awarded a multiyear contract to serve as the Inland Empire / Desert Region Center of Excellence for Labor Market Information (COE). The COE provides the 12 community colleges in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with data and analysis on the region’s job growth, wages, in-demand skills, and other economic and labor market information to inform college programming, curriculum, and investments. Our COE research portfolio has since grown to include statewide work, regional AI and emerging technology impact analysis, workforce demand studies tied to inland logistics and goods movement expansion, sub-regional program gap assessments, and skills analyses built on the BLS Competency Model framework. You will be a member of this team.

What You’ll Do

• Analyze Labor Market Data: Dive into data related to occupations and industries in the Inland Empire/Desert region, comprising Riverside and San Bernardino counties, to uncover trends and insights.

• Conduct In-Depth Research: Address questions about the local economy and educational outcomes to aid in the understanding of regional demand and how community colleges are or can meet that demand. Perform statistical and technical research, evaluation studies, and literature reviews.

• Build and Query Datasets: Extract data from state, federal, and proprietary sources; design, maintain, and query the datasets and information systems that support our research; and keep an organized archive so the next study starts further along than the last one.

• Investigate the Data: Reconcile figures across sources, determine why they disagree, and document what you found. We lead with the discrepancy rather than the more convenient number.

• Translate Insights: Turn complex data into clear, concise reports, presentations, dashboards, and other research products that inform investments, curriculum, program development, and other decisions at the 12 regional community colleges, public school districts, and other partners in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

• Communicate Findings: Summarize and review data effectively, ensuring stakeholders understand key insights, methodology, and implications. Present at regional consortium meetings, advisory board meetings, college planning events, employer-education forums, and conferences.

• Support Program Decisions: Respond to college inquiries and provide the technical detail and labor market information needed to support program recommendation and approval.

• Manage Projects: Oversee and prioritize research projects, ensuring they are completed on time and meet high-quality standards. Contribute to quarterly and annual narrative reporting and renewal documentation under the terms of the grant.

You Are a Perfect Fit If You Have

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent applied skills and experience in statistical analysis, research, data analytics, and report authoring.

• At least two years of experience conducting research in an education, workforce, economic development, or non-profit setting. Experience across both education and workforce data is what we’re most hoping to find.

• Proven report writing, leading with innovative methodologies and an eye for detail and creativeness.

• Experience creating reports using data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau).

• Experience with statistical software or programming languages (R, Python).

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Experience with statistical analysis, data analysis methods and research design.

• Proficiency in relevant tools used for data manipulation, data visualization, analysis, and professional writing.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Comfort presenting complex findings to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise.

Bonus Points If You Have

• Knowledge of labor market data sources (BLS, Lightcast, EDD Labor Market Information Division, US Census, O*NET), including the methodological distinctions between CPS and ACS.

• Experience presenting data analysis to clients and stakeholders.

• Understanding of the California Community College system, including CCCCO MIS, DataVista, Perkins, or Strong Workforce.

• Experience with survey design and administration (Qualtrics).

• Subject matter familiarity with logistics and goods movement, health care, advanced manufacturing, or clean energy. These sectors fuel the Inland Empire.

Location and Conditions

This is a full-time position with primarily remote work. However, we are looking for a team member who lives in the area to partner with college faculty and attend local events in the Inland Empire/Desert Region, including Riverside and San Bernardino counties, at least once a week.

Who We Are Looking For:

Trailhead hires professionals with a diverse set of skills and experiences who share our values, take ownership for the quality of work, and are committed to productive relationships with clients, coworkers, and partners. While skills matter, so does character. We are looking for candidates that align with our firm’s core values: