The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities,establishedby the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receiveappropriate,timelyand quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk childrenhave the opportunity tothrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCAidentifiesgaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCAalsoservesasaresourceforfamilieswhoarereceiving,orareeligibletoreceive,servicesfromtheCommonwealth.The OCA values diverse perspectives, including candidates with lived experience in the child protective and/or juvenile justice system. The Policy and Implementation Team at the OCAworks toidentifyand make recommendations to address systems-level gaps and challenges in the delivery of state services for children and improve outcomes. The teamaccomplishesthis work by conducting comprehensive, mixed methods policy analysis, managing the work of various OCA-chaired taskforces,and working groups; and developing policy reports and briefs. Additionally, the team collaborates with various partners to pilot innovative programs and services designed to improve the quality of state services for children and youth by supporting pilot program design, implementation, and evaluation. The Policy and Implementation Team also manages legislative relations, communications, and external affairs for the OCA. A Senior Policy & Implementation Manager plays a crucial rolein managing select policy and programmatic projects, which may include managing the work of one or more OCA staff and/or external consultants assigned to the project. SPI Managers develop and implement policy research and analysis projects culminating in policy reports and briefs making recommendations for changes in statute, budget, policy and/or practice. SPI Managers may also manage multi-stakeholder working groups and help develop and implement pilot projects in partnership with other state agencies. While a SPI Manager may specialize in one or more areas of policy focus for the OCA, (e.g. child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, education), the OCA’s work intentionally crosses systems and silos, and a SPI Manager should also have a solid general understanding of child and youth services in the Commonwealth, the interest/willingness to work to expand your knowledge on policy areas as needed, and the ability to work across disciplines. SPI Managers will be assigned specific projects based on their area of expertise/interest as well as the overall needs of the office.   The right candidate for this positionhas prior experience working in and/or with government in a role focused on policy analysis, development, implementation, and/or evaluation related to child and family services. You understand how to use a variety of sources of information – from qualitative interviews to academic literature to statistical analysis to the voices of individuals with lived experience – to develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of public policy problems and analyze potential solutions. You can design and manage a long-term project involving multiple team members with varied skills and experiences. You can write clearly and compellingly about public policy topics for various audiences. You have experience working across organizational lines with individuals in other state agencies as well as external (advocacy, provider) partners, and you understand how to develop consensus and “get to yes” even on tricky policy issues.You have a demonstrated commitment tofostering inclusion and addressing disparities instate services and systems.Most of all, you have a passion for improving the lives of the children and youth of the Commonwealth and want to be part of an innovative, growing team of public servants who share that passion.      DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESLeads mixed methods policy research projects as assigned by the Senior Director of Policy & Implementation, including but not limited to, development of research questions and methodology, identification of data/datasets and development of data requests for other state agencies, data analysis, conducting qualitative interviews, as well asdeveloping and implementing survey tools, conducting literature reviews, and other qualitative and quantitative research methods as appropriate. * Oversees work of other policy and research staff assigned to various research projects under the manager’s purview. * Drafts and/or manages the creation of policy research deliverables, including but not limited to, legislative reports, policy briefs, presentations, websites, fact sheets, or other materials describing research findings and recommendations. * Leads/staffs interagency working groups as assigned, including but not limited to developing agendas and meeting presentations,facilitatingpublic meetings,designingand executing relevant research projects, managing the creation of legislative and other reports, and supervising staff in ensuring programmatic requirements are met. * Leads development, implementation and/or oversight of innovative pilot projects designed to improve the quality of child-serving systems, which may include pilot program design, management of relationships with relevant partners, development of training curricula, data analysis and tracking, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and identification and management of external consultants, to include an external evaluator when appropriate. * May provide support in responding to requests for policy analysis from Legislature. * Tracks relevant legislation, policy, and reforms both nationally and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. * Maintainsknowledge of the best practices and emerging issues, including implementation of best practices,in relevant policy areas from an interdisciplinary perspective. * Works in a collaborative way with relevant initiatives being managed by other government and private entities. * Makes recommendations to Senior Director of Policy and Implementation for new OCA research or implementation projects and/or needed policy changes, legislation, and program development. * Other projects as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AT HIRE (List knowledges, skills, abilities) •Experience developing and conducting mixed methods policy research projects. •Demonstratedability to critically review research and integrate it into planning efforts and reports •Excellent oral and written communication skills. •Demonstratedability to adapt writing for multiple audiences and formats •Demonstratedability to make persuasive presentations to various interdisciplinary audiences. •Demonstratedability to organize, prioritize and manage multiple projects and programs. •Demonstratedexperience managing potentially delicate situations and confidential information •Familiarity with current issues in relevant areas of child and family policy. •Excellent computer skills, especially Office 365 Preferred Qualifications •Prior experience working in state government, particularly in a role thatrequiredcross-agency collaboration •Prior experience managing thestart-upand/or expansion of a child or family focused program •Demonstratedability to develop consensus among committeesrepresentinga variety of public and private entities (e.g. state agencies, advocacy organizations,etc.) involved in child serving systems. •Prior experience as a technicalassistanceprovider or external policy or management consultant to government agencies •Experience selecting and managing outside consultants. •Certification in one or more project management methodologies •Experience with research and data visualization software (e.g.,Tableau,Nvivo) •7 years of experience in the field MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIRMENTS A master’s degree from an accredited institute of higher education in public policy, public administration, education, public health, and/or a related field. Applicants must have at least (A)five(5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, professional internship, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in: child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, education, public health, public policy research or development, and/or public administration, of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below. Substitutions: A doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience. Job: Unclassified* *Organization: Office of the Child Advocate *Title: *Senior Policy & Implementation Manager Location: Massachusetts-Boston-1 Ashburton Place Requisition ID: 240000L1