Organization Overview

The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) is a non-profit dedicated to ensuring every student has a great teacher and a transformative education. Through our nationally recognized teacher residency, we recruit, train, and support high-quality, passionate educators in hard-to-fill subject areas for underinvested communities. Founded in Chicago in 2001, we launched the first urban teacher residency and the nation’s first in-district innovation zone. As we work to address the nation’s critical teacher shortage, AUSL is entering an exciting period of rapid expansion. 

To learn more about AUSL, please visit our website at: www.auslchicago.org  

Role Overview

The Director of Residency Systems Engineering & Data Analytics owns the technical architecture, data infrastructure, and analytical engine of the AUSL residency program. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Strategic Operations, this role bridges systems & data engineering (including AI-assisted development, database administration, and API integration) strategic data analysis and program operations—translating complex metrics into predictive trends, actionable conclusions, and seamless experiences for residents, mentors, university partners, and staff.

This position requires approximately two (2) days per week on-site/on-campus in Chicago or Lake County, as well as additional onsite support (up to 5 days per week) during major programmatic events.

Key Responsibilities

1. Systems Administration & Dashboard Maintenance (30%)

• Dashboard Ownership: Own the day-to-day maintenance, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of AUSL’s internal proprietary Residency Dashboard. Leverage AI-assisted development tools and prompt engineering (e.g., Anthropic Claude, Python, API scripts) to write code, perform routine bug fixes, and deploy minor feature updates directly.
• External Developer Interface: Serve as the primary technical liaison for external software developers, managing scope, specifications, and deliverables for large-scale architectural changes or major platform overhauls.
• Database Management: Maintain and optimize residency, alumni, mentor, and partner data infrastructure within the internal Residency Data Repository and Slate.
• Account Provisioning & Offboarding: Partner with team members to ensure new staff, residents, mentors, and school partners receive Dashboard and/or Google accounts, and promptly deactivate access upon program exit.
• USDOL RAPIDS & Systems Oversight: Serve as AUSL’s designated system administrator for the USDOL Registered Apprenticeship Providers Information Database System (RAPIDS), overseeing user access, data integrity, and pipeline integrations between RAPIDS and the internal Residency Data Repository.

2. Data Lifecycle Ownership & Analytics (30%)

• Data Lifecycle Leadership: Own the end-to-end residency data lifecycle, systems, and structures to measure program effectiveness and impact, tailored to the residency team’s execution. Design, implement, and maintain the program's annual measurement calendar (surveys, performance reviews, retention metrics).
• Residency Lifecycle & Status Tracking: Manage the tracking and data administration of day-to-day resident movements and program status changes, including site/mentor reassignments, program exits, and resignations.
• Evaluation & Survey Administration: Lead the administration of key data collection cycles, including Benchmarking, Student Insight Surveys (Tripod), and annual Alumni surveys; validate all collected data to ensure high integrity.
• Reporting & Dashboards: Draft regular, proactive status and progress reports for leadership to drive data-informed decision-making.
• Registered Apprenticeship, ETPL & Compliance Oversight: Oversee federal and state compliance, reporting, and audit readiness for USDOL Registered Apprenticeship and WIOA funding programs, including maintaining AUSL’s active status on local Eligible Training Provider Lists (ETPL). Design and manage the tracking architecture for On-the-Job Learning (OJL) and Related Instruction (RI) milestones, analyzing wage progression schedules and collaborating with district HR leadership to ensure timely approvals in alignment with USDOL standards. 

3. Predictive Monitoring & Interventions  (25%)

• Risk Identification: Design the system to actively analyze resident and mentor performance data to identify trends and flag at-risk residents early in the cycle.
• Tiered Intervention Architecture: Collaborate with program leadership to recommend data-driven programmatic interventions. Design the monitoring and measurement of multi-tiered support frameworks (Tier 1 universal support, Tier 2 targeted intervention, and Tier 3 intensive remediation) to identify highest-leverage practices and proactively improve resident persistence and retention.

4. Residency Operations & Flexible Programmatic Execution (15%)

• Operational Execution via Dashboard: Lead the design and operational management of core program operations directly within the Residency Dashboard, including Lead Teach cycles, Benchmarking evaluations, Student Teaching and other District Onboarding requirements, Host Visits, and Professional Development programming.
• Site and Mentor Selection & Matching Models: Collaborate with program leadership to translate historical performance metrics into actionable mentor and site health evaluations. Leverage effectiveness data to inform future mentor selection, site placement, and retention models. Execute initial resident-mentor matching workflows.
• Adaptive Operational Support: Flexibly execute other programmatic duties, cross-functional projects, and operational tasks as assigned.

1. Professional Experience & Education

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s in Data Analytics, Information Systems, Educational Leadership, or Public Administration preferred).
• Years of Experience: 5–7+ years of progressive experience in program operations, data management, systems administration, or educational technology.
• Sector Context: Experience working in higher education, non-profit management, teacher preparation, or complex multi-stakeholder organizations.

2. Technical & Data Systems Expertise

• AI-Powered Development & Coding Skills: Comfort and experience leveraging AI coding tools (e.g., LLM prompt engineering via Anthropic Claude/AWS Bedrock, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Python, APIs, or SQL) to independently maintain, debug, and enhance custom web applications and dashboards without needing external developers for basic updates.
• Database & CRM Mastery: Proven hands-on experience administering Higher Ed CRMs or database systems (e.g., Slate, Salesforce, or internal data repositories).
• Data Lifecycle & Analytics: Track record of managing full data lifecycles—from survey administration to data validation, cleanup, and visualization (e.g., Excel/Google Sheets, SQL, PowerBI, Tableau).

3. Operational & Process Design

• Developer Management: Ability to manage external software developers, establishing technical specifications and managing vendor SLAs.
• Process & Logistics Design: Proven ability to design and manage complex operational workflows, such as matching/selection algorithms, tracking status changes (exits/campus switches), tiered intervention monitoring, evaluation cycle execution (Lead Teach, Benchmarking), and host visit coordination.

4. Core Competencies

• Agility & Resourcefulness: High personal technical ingenuity to build, automate, and solve problems directly within non-profit resource constraints.
• Adaptability & Growth Mindset: Comfortable operating in an evolving environment with shifting priorities; enthusiastic about taking on new projects and flexible duties as needed.
• Analytical Problem Solving: Ability to translate complex data sets into actionable, data-driven programmatic interventions.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Strong interpersonal skills to bridge communications between technology vendors, university partners, admissions teams, and senior leadership.
• Data Integrity & Discretion: High attention to detail with an uncompromised commitment to data accuracy and the discrete handling of confidential records.
• On-Site Presence: Willingness and ability to work on-campus/in-person approximately 2 days per week in Chicago or Lake County, building strong, trust-based relationships with cross-functional teams, site directors, and coaches.

Why AUSL? We recognize that our team members are the driving force behind our success. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Generous Paid Time Off, Sick Time, and Holiday Time Off
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with an employer match

EEO Statement: AUSL is an equal opportunity employer. Employees and applicants will be treated fairly and without regard to their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.