Policy Analyst

Salary: $28.16 - $36.00 Hourly
Location : Salt Lake County, UT
Job Type: Full Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 40167
Agency: 670 Department of Commerce
Unit: 1101 CRC ADMIN
Opening Date: 01/31/2024
Closing Date: 2/12/2024 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Exempt
Recruiter: Tehra Gorski, tgorski@utah.gov
# of Openings: 1
Schedule Code Description: 12-month probationary period.
Background Check: You must successfully pass a criminal history check.
Location: Utah Department of Commerce, Office of Professional Licensure Review (OPLR): 160 E. 300 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Schedule Code: B - Competitive Career Service - Employment in this position requires a probationary period.
Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package. See benefits tab below for details.
Driver License Requirements: Employees hired for this recruitment will be subject to the Driver Eligibility standards found at the following link: https://adminrules.utah.gov/public/search/driver%20eligibility/Current%20Rules
EEO Statement: The State of Utah is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. For accommodations, dial 711 or TTY: 800-346-4128.
Job Description
We are seeking talented professionals interested in joining a new government policy office. If joining a small, agile team developing new innovative ways of thinking about key policy issues sounds fantastic, and you are looking for a groundbreaking opportunity for mentoring and on the job experience, please apply!
This position is with the Utah Department of Commerce, Office of Professional Licensure Review. The office was created July 2022 as part of the State of Utah's efforts to promote economic advancement and streamline and modernize government through the review of all occupational regulations in the state. We need a talented, driven professional to help develop the analytical tools, processes and deliverables of the newly created Office of Professional Licensure Review. As a Policy Analyst for this one-of-a-kind office, you will be helping Utah do something very few other states have done, and accomplish it 'the Utah way' with collaboration and innovation at the fore. When successful, the Office will influence policies that open up occupations and employment to more Utahns, while ensuring consumer safety and access to qualified services.
In this position, you will use sound analytical, research, and critical thinking tools to review the State's policies in light of economic and workforce context, and develop and communicate recommendations for right-sizing regulations that meet Utah's current market needs. Your work will directly inform legislative and agency actions that support economic growth while also enhancing consumer safety and trust in Utah's economy.
**After an initial in-person period, and if eligibility requirements are met, a hybrid telework schedule may be available.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES
Your duties will include but not be limited to the following:

• Proposing, developing, and completing professional licensure reviews as described in statute.
  • Identifying licenses and legislation for review, including working with stakeholders to determine scope of each review.
  • Gathering data and information (qualitative and quantitative) related to public health and safety, workforce and economic conditions, regulation in other jurisdictions, industry needs, etc. through general research in order to produce reports on licensed professions.
  • Perform analyses assessing the benefits and drawbacks of existing and proposed statutes, rules, and policies.
  • Synthesizing and summarizing research and analysis for senior leaders, legislators, and others.
  • Making recommendations to improve legislation.

Self-managing a workload with a high degree of productivity and professionalism.

• Representing the Office with various stakeholders.
• Demonstrating leadership in accomplishing the Office's mission.
• Working collaboratively with other team members to share information, knowledge, and skills in accomplishing research tasks.
• Interpreting, clarifying, explaining, and applying policy and procedures, business practices, statutes, and rules, etc.
• Preparing and/or processing documents; reviewing for accuracy and completeness; updating information and/or evaluating against policy; comparing elements for consistency or logical relationships, etc.
• Writing/Drafting correspondence, reports, documents, and/or other written material.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Assist in research planning and project management as needed

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Our model candidate will have:

• Comfort with Ambiguity: the ability to understand and analyze emerging policy areas with few precedents or models. Ability to formulate approaches to answering complex questions with incomplete data. Identifies high value ideas and information to improve policy.
• Systems-level Thinking: Ability to understand and navigate complex public and other systems.
• Proactivity and Self-Management skills: Works with minimal supervision, manages own time effectively, maintains control over all current projects/responsibilities. Proactively pursues high value tasks and follows up on all relevant issues, while deprioritizing tasks of lower value. Communicates with team members about progress and challenges
• Openness to Feedback: willing to take edits and redirection gracefully; curiosity and desire for learning and professional development.
• The ability to understand and in some cases draft recommended changes to law and policy (rules and statute).
• The ability to speak and present clearly, conveying complex, nuanced research findings important to groups like management, boards, legislators, etc.
• Sound general research skills, including qualitative methods
• Quantitative data analysis skills and a general comfort with using numerical data to draw conclusions via statistical analysis, data visualization, and similar tools.
• Familiarity with statistical software packages and languages (e.g., Excel, Stata, SAS, SPSS, R).

PREFERENCES
We may give preferences for applicants with the following:

• A degree of any level in public policy, public administration, political science, economics, law, business, management; or, 4 years work experience related to the same fields.
• Prior experience as a management consultant, public sector consultant, policy, researcher, or Policy Analyst.
• Project management experience (work planning, assessing, developing, and tracking).

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN OUR TEAM
This Policy Analyst will join a small, agile team, developing a new, innovative way of thinking about a key issue with strong support from the Governor and legislature. The right candidate will be in a position to influence, develop, and pilot new analytical tools and processes which will be innovative not just for Utah, but nationally as well. Additionally, this context will give the right candidate rapid professional development from both strong supervisory relationships, mentoring, and training, and also groundbreaking on the job experience. Click here to learn more about our office.
The mission of the Department of Commerce is to strengthen trust in Utah's commercial activities. As part of our team, your efforts will help do this by making ongoing review of licensure requirements part of Utah's regulatory DNA and help ensure Utah's work-force regulations remain reasonable, relevant, and reliable.
This position is eligible for a rich benefits package, generous paid time off, and a great work-life balance. You can learn more about offered benefits here.
AGENCY
In addition to the Office of Professional Licensure Review, the Department of Commerce is the licensing and registration agency for Utah's professional and business community. We provide oversight of business registrations, trademarks, Uniform Commercial Code filings, professional licensing, consumer protection, public utilities, securities, real estate and residential mortgage lending. You can learn more about the agency by visiting the website.
BENEFITS

• Health Insurance - Public Employee Health Program (PEHP):
  
  • 3 medical plan options. Choose a Traditional or High Deductible Health Plan. There is an Opt-Out Cash Benefit option for those that have other medical insurance coverage.
    
  • 5 dental plan options, with an Opt-Out Cash Benefit option for those that have other dental insurance coverage.
    
  • 4 vision plan options under EyeMed or OptiCare

Retirement - Utah Retirement Systems (URS):

• Employees who have any service credit with an employer covered by the Utah Retirement Systems prior to 7/1/2011 are in the Tier I Public Employees System.
  
• Employees hired on or after 7/1/2011 and who have never been in the URS retirement system have two options for retirement in the Tier II System.
  
  • Tier 2 Hybrid Retirement System. Employer contributes an amount equal to 10% of your salary between both plans (pension and 401(k))
    
  • Tier 2 Defined Contribution Plan. Employer contributes an amount equal to 10% of your salary to a 401(k) plan only.

Employer contributions to your 401(k) are vested after four years.

Paid Time Off:

• Annual leave and sick leave are accrued at 4 hours per pay period each (4 hours annual, 4 hours sick).
  
• Annual leave amounts increase with years of service.
  
• We have 12 paid holidays.

Supplemental Information

• Job classification: Research Consultant II (#16058). **May underfill as a Research Consultant I (#16056).
• Please note, a position's eligibility for remote work is established by agency management and is subject to change at their discretion at any time and for any reason.
• DHRM rules apply for promotions/transfers.
• Valid driver license required to drive a motor vehicle on a highway in this state per UCA53-3-202(1)(a).
• Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g., safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc.
• Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items; driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.

Benefits:
The State of Utah offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program. Please click the following link for a detailed information page: To access a Total Compensation Calculator in Excel format click
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01
The interview selection process is based on your answers to the application questions. Your answers to the questions on this application should be specific to the question that was asked and must be supported by your resume or work history otherwise you may not receive credit. Failure to answer the application questions completely and appropriately may result in disqualification, this includes copy/pasting your resume instead of answering the question. "See resume" or "see work history" are not acceptable answers to any question. Do you understand and agree to follow the above statement?

• Yes
• No

02
Please select the highest level of education or degree that you have completed (listed in the order of our preference).

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field (public policy, public administration, political science, economics, law, business, management).
• Bachelor's Degree or higher in a non-related field
• Associate Degree
• High School or GED
• None

03
How many years of professional experience do you have working in a related field (public policy, public administration, political science, economics, public sector consulting, law, business, management)?

• None
• Under 4 years
• 4 years or more

04
How many years of related working experience do you have in the policy analysis or research field (school projects do not apply)?

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 or more years

05
Please describe your related experience (policy analysis and/or research) to support your answers to questions #3 and #4, above. Response format for each question: EMPLOYER - MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY - DESCRIPTION. Type N/A if you selected None.**To ensure credit, include details of your experience within your description so the subject matter expert understands the relatability and level of your work.
06
From the list below, please select all that apply to your professional experience, as long as your experience totals at least one year.

• Quantitative data analysis
• Medical/Healthcare Policy
• Economic or Workforce Analysis
• Budget and/or Fiscal Analysis
• Auditing (qualified examples include: financial, operational, compliance, or similar types of auditing)
• Investigating (qualified examples include: system and process, policy, comparative, data analysis, procedural, and/or computer systems)
• Academic Research
• Other related experience
• None

07
Please describe your experience to support your answer a...