Associate Director of Institutional Research

ESSENTIAL POSITION PURPOSE

The Associate Director of Institutional Research leads the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of institutional data to support strategic planning, decision-making, accreditation, assessment, and reporting activities. The Director plays a critical role in supporting institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement aligned with NWCCU accreditation standards. Reporting to the Provost or their designee, this position collaborates with academic and administrative units to promote data-informed practices and ensure accurate and timely regulatory and compliance reporting.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The Associate Director of Institutional Research collaborates closely with the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, the Provost, and institutional leaders to support data-informed decision-making throughout the institution. This role collaborates regularly with the President’s Cabinet, senior administrators, and various departments, including Enrollment Management, Institutional Effectiveness, and Information Technology Services. The Director also engages with faculty, department chairs, and external agencies, including state and federal reporting bodies, to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and utility of institutional data.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage all institutional research functions, including data collection, warehousing, analysis, and reporting.
• Lead institutional research initiatives that inform university planning, policy development, and resource allocation.
• Manage data collection and validation, ensuring integrity, consistency, and accuracy of data through standard protocols and quality assurance measures.
• Develop and maintain data systems and dashboards to monitor institutional performance metrics (enrollment, retention, graduation rates, etc.).
• Provide data analysis and reports to support strategic planning, budgeting, academic program review, and student learning assessment.
• Provide data and research support for program reviews, grant proposals, and academic or administrative initiatives
• Prepare and submit mandatory external reports (IPEDS, NWCCU annual reports, state or federal compliance documents).
• Support accreditation activities, including self-study reports, annual reporting, and evidence-based documentation.
• Collaborate with Information Services (IS), Registrar, and other key offices to enhance institutional data systems and analytics capabilities.
• Partner with IS and data stewards to ensure data governance practices support accuracy, consistency, and security.
• Monitor trends in higher education and produce relevant benchmarking and predictive analyses.
• Stay current with higher education trends, best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Train and support university staff and faculty in interpreting institutional data and utilizing research tools.
• Respond to ad hoc internal and external data requests in a timely and accurate manner.
• Design and conduct studies related to student enrollment, retention, progression, completion, and other institutional priorities.
• Conduct ad hoc and longitudinal studies to support institutional initiatives and assess the impacts of policies.
• Serve as the institution’s primary contact for institutional data and official statistics.

ESSENTIAL POSITION COMPETENCIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Master’s degree in a related field (e.g., Higher Education Administration, Statistics, Data Science, or Social Sciences).
• Preferred: Doctoral degree.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in institutional research or data analytics, preferably in higher education.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency with data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS, Tableau, Power BI).
• Knowledge of NWCCU accreditation standards and federal reporting requirements (e.g., IPEDS, Common Data Set).
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a small university environment.
• Experience with federal and state higher education reporting requirements
• Experience working with SQL databases and reporting tools (e.g., Argos, Cognos)
• Familiarity with student information systems and ERP platforms (e.g., Banner, Workday) preferred

Preferred:

• Experience in a private, faith-based, or mission-driven institution.
• Experience with student information systems (e.g., Ellucian Banner, Jenzabar, Colleague, Infomaker).