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Inside Higher Ed · 2 weeks ago

Director of Institutional Research and Analytics

Sugar Grove, IL

Full-time

Hybrid

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$99K/yr - $131K/yr

3+ years exp

Waubonsee Community College is a transformative institution dedicated to making a positive impact in the community and the lives of students. The Director of Institutional Research and Analytics plays a critical role in advancing a culture of inquiry and data-aligned decision-making, leading institutional research activities and collaborating with senior leadership to optimize institutional effectiveness.

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Responsibilities

Lead and oversee institutional research activities that support strategic planning, student success initiatives, and operational efficiencies

Develop and execute a research agenda aligned with accreditation, post-secondary outcomes, and program evaluation

Apply statistical modeling, machine learning, and data mining to student outcomes and program evaluation

Manage data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring findings inform institutional policies and practices

Support faculty and staff using research tools, statistical programming (e.g., R, Python), and methodologies for curriculum and program assessment

Establish and enforce data governance policies, ensuring accuracy, security, and ethical use of institutional data

Implement data visualization, predictive analytics, and AI/ML techniques to drive insight into student outcomes, workforce development, and institutional performance

Collaborate with the IT department to enhance data systems for reporting, compliance, and strategic planning, (e.g., data warehouses, cloud-based analytics, and machine learning pipelines)

Foster a data-informed culture, providing training in modern analytics and data science techniques to faculty, staff, and administrators

Collaborate with faculty, administrators, and staff, ensuring research findings are integrated into decision-making processes

Serve as a resource for institutional research, guiding evidence-based approaches to academic and administrative improvements

Develop executive-level reports, translating complex analytics into actionable strategies for senior leadership

Represent the college in state and regional discussions on institutional research, analytics, and data science applications in higher education

Qualification

Data scienceStatistical modelingMachine learningInstitutional researchPythonRSQLData visualizationCommunication skillsProject managementTeam leadership

Required

Master's degree in a relevant field such as Higher Education, Educational Research, Statistics, Data Science, Public Policy, or a related discipline

Minimum of three (3) years of significant experience in institutional research and/or data analytics responsibilities within a higher education setting

A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience is required

Strong background in data science, statistical modeling, and advanced analytics

Expertise in institutional research, assessment, and IR compliance

Proficiency in Python, R, SQL, and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI)

Ability to translate complex data into strategic recommendations

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey findings to diverse audiences

Ability to lead teams, manage projects, and collaborate across departments