Principal Data Analytics Specialist (Information Technology Specialist III)

Job Description and Duties Anticipated Interview Dates: We anticipate holding in-person interviews beginning the week of November 11, 2026. Our Technology, Information, and Business Advancement (TIBA) section is seeking an experienced candidate for an Information Technology Specialist III (IT Spec III), Principal Data Analytics Specialist position. The right candidate will have deep, hands-on experience in the data/information, programming, business analysis, enterprise architecture, and software design domains and help drive our California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) mission through achieving pervasive data acumen for all CalPERS team members. The Principal Data Analytics Specialist works under the direction of the Head of TIBA and with our information management, enterprise analytics, data reporting, and enterprise architecture units. This role collaborates with Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and application development teams, internal business data users, senior leadership, and participates in the CalPERS Enterprise Data Management effort. The incumbent serves as one of two senior-most data analytics professionals on a team of experienced data professionals and is responsible for various strategic, planning, architecture, governance, technology, business support, and data delivery tasks. We are seeking a perpetual learner and coach who can assist the team with direction and hands-on work. Help us bring the highly successful CalPERS data platform to the next level. Telework Information: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with up to two days of remote work and three days or more onsite, per week. Sponsorship: This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes. Effective July 1, 2025, The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025). PLP 2025 directs that each employee shall receive a 3 percent reduction in pay in exchange for 5 hours PLP 2025 leave credits, monthly. The salary range(s) included in the job advertisement do not reflect the 3 percent reduction in pay. How did you hear about this position? Tell us in this brief survey. You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Special Requirements Statement of Qualifications Please provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager’s review. Applications received without an SOQ or those that do not respond to the specific questions below will not be considered. The SOQ must be typed, titled “Statement of Qualifications,” and each response must list all relevant experience, education, and training, including duties performed. The SOQ must not exceed one page in length. • In your response, begin with the phrase “SOQ-ARCH-01” and describe one specific project where you served as a lead architect or senior technical contributor for a data, analytics, or business intelligence platform. Include the current-state challenge, the future-state design you recommended, the technologies or tools involved, and one measurable result. Also identify one decision you personally made that you would not delegate to a junior team member. • In your response, begin with the phrase “SOQ-PROC-02” and describe one example where you 2improved how a data, reporting, or BI team delivered work. Include at least two of the following in your example: version control, work tracking, release management, documentation, monitoring, change control, or mentoring. Close your response by naming one process artifact, template, or guide you created or improved and how it was used by the team. Minimum Qualifications All experience and education relating to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) listed on the Classification Specification should be included in your application package to clearly demonstrate how you meet the MQs for this position. If you are using education to meet MQs, please include your transcripts with your application package. If you have a degree from outside of the United States, you must submit an evaluation of this degree to determine the US equivalency. If you need an evaluation, you can visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website to find organizations that provide these services. The Classification Specification is located on this Job Posting under "Minimum Requirements." Please Note: You may need to pass an examination to establish list eligibility prior to a final offer of employment. To find and take an exam, visit CalHR’s CalCareers website. Need help with your state application, resume, Statement of Qualifications, or interview preparation? The CalPERS Career Services & Outreach team provides comprehensive support throughout the CalPERS hiring process. Our services include one-on-one online consultations for application assistance, Statement of Qualification review, and interview preparation. To schedule an appointment and receive personalized guidance from our team, please use the following booking link: CalPERS Career Services Consultations. Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate: • Ability to design and deliver user-friendly data solutions • Hands-on knowledge of data methods, architectures, and technologies including DevOps, DataOps, data mining, machine learning, self-service data capabilities, data warehousing, and data analytics • Ability to learn and comprehend large data landscapes and the applications that collect data across the enterprise • Technology experience with Microsoft Power BI (dashboards, workspaces, gateways, access controls, connecting to data sources), Microsoft Report Builder, Oracle Database (query writing, tuning, data modeling) • Experience building a data community and enabling users to solve problems using data