Director of Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support

Director of Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support

Job Description

The Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OPIE) is the central coordinating office for institutional effectiveness and accountability activities. OPIE seeks to provide reliable, systematic, and timely information to academic and administrative units to support the University's policy formation, planning, and decision-making. The Office of Planning and Institution Effectiveness (OPIE) mission is to coordinate institution-wide planning, assessment, evaluation, and institutional research activities in support of the University's four-part mission of instruction, research, extension, and outreach. These activities include strategic and operational planning, assessment, institutional research, and institutional and compliance reporting with state, federal, and accrediting agencies. The Office's efforts identify, analyze, and monitor internal and external trends and developments that influence the University's mission and strategic vision.

The Director of Institutional Research, Analytics and Decision Support oversees the University's institutional research function to support data-informed decision-making. The associate director provides leadership, supervises, and coordinates the strategic operation of the institutional research, analytics, and decision support (IRADS) staff within the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OPIE). This position is responsible for developing, managing, and coordinating the collection, organization, maintenance, and analysis of institutional data and research. The Director will serve as a campus leader of data management, data science, and data analytics to support the centralized collection, management, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of data information and evidence to make data informed decisions. The position oversees integrated Banner Student Information System and data warehouse functions.

The Director will closely partner with the Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness to assist the University in meeting strategic goals by developing statistical models, data analytics, operations analysis and research, and planning functions. The Director presents oral and written reports to the administration, deans, department chairs, and other university constituents. The Director will engage all stakeholders (, leadership, deans, chairs, faculty, students, and other decision-makers) in data informed decisions (tactical, operational, and strategic) to drive institutional excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Comprehensive working knowledge of institutional research, its literature, organizations, and practices.
• Excellent knowledge in at least one of the following areas: Data management, data science, and data analytics theory, tools, and practice.Psychometrics and research design.Statistical analyses, interpretation, and storytelling.
• Experience with data governance to ensure accurate, reliable, and consistent institutional data.
• Proficiency in business intelligence tools (, Logi, OBI, SQL, Tableau, PowerBi, Microsoft SQL, SCT banner, SPSS, Blackboard Analytics, EAB Navigate, or WebFocus)
• Comprehensive understanding and demonstrated proficiency working in client/server environments,including extract, transform, and load processes and editing and testing for data integrity, system security and control, and backup and recovery processes.
• Knowledge of tools for survey administration (, Qualtrics, QuestionPro, SurveyMonkey, and EvaluationKit).
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and other state and federal reporting requirements.
• Comprehensive knowledge of systems analysis, database design techniques and tools, and project management.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, manage, analyze, interpret, and report internal and external data and information relevant to the University's academic programs, students, human resources, finances, marketing, long-range planning, decision-making, and internal and external reporting.
• Demonstrated strong analytical and organizational skills while paying attention to detail and directing others toward completed actions.
• Ability to coordinate staff work, work in a team environment, and perform effectively independently and as a collaborator with diverse campus administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze user requirements use proven methodologies to design and implement information management and data warehouse systems to meet requirements, and create, test, and debug complex system output.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with technical, non-technical, and functional personnel, including presenting data and information effectively to a diverse range of audiences.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with all segments of the university community and external agencies/partners. Learn new ideas, procedures, processes, and computer software quickly and independently.Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required.Three years of progressively responsible administrative or professional experience in data management, data analytics, or research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in education research, social/behavioral science, statistics, or a related field that emphasizes data management and data analytics preferred.