SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST

Classification Title:

Senior Institutional Research Analyst

Pay Grade Level

Grade 17

Pay Rate:

This position follows the administrative and support staff salary structure for a grade 17 position; excellent fringe benefits.

Department:

Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Research

Physical Demands: 

Able to traverse campus, lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, reaching, handling, fine dexterity, bending, vision, hearing, and talking.

Job Summary/Basic Function:

Under the direction of the Dean of Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Research (PIER), the Senior Institutional Research Analyst performs advanced research and evaluation functions to support institutional decision-making, planning, and accountability. Responsibilities include designing and conducting comprehensive research and evaluation studies of programs, departments, and student populations; supporting data compliance reporting; fulfilling internal and external data requests; and assisting with data needs for grant development. Reports to the Dean of Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Research (PIER).

This position requires advanced expertise in research methodology and data analytics. The Senior Analyst coordinates and manages complex research projects, often involving collaboration across departments. This role is distinguished from the Institutional Research Analyst position by its leadership responsibility and advanced skill sets.

• Lead the design, planning, and execution of institutional research and evaluation projects.
• Collaborate with the PIER team in the evaluation of academic and student services programs.
• Apply advanced statistical procedures and sampling techniques to ensure data accuracy and reliability.
• Prepare and submit reports to college leadership, federal and state agencies, and external stakeholders to meet compliance and funding requirements.
• Design and implement surveys; analyze and communicate findings to the college community.
• Compile research reports with clear data visualizations, explanations of methodologies, and summaries of findings and implications.
• Query institutional databases for key performance indicators such as enrollment trends, retention and graduation rates, and program participation.
• Conduct qualitative research (e.g., focus groups, interviews) as needed.
• Provide expert analysis and consultation for initiatives related to enrollment management and student success.
• Develop and maintain code for efficient data preparation, cleaning, and analysis.
• Document projects and maintain data system records for reproducibility and future reference.
• Extract and analyze data from internal and external sources.
• Use software tools such as Tableau, R, SPSS, Excel, and PowerPoint for data analysis and visualization.
• Communicate findings effectively to stakeholders across the college.
• Contribute to the development and ongoing maintenance of institutional dashboards.
• Create and manage research agendas, calendars, and timelines.
• Participate in committees and attend assigned meetings.
• Complete all required training and professional development activities.
• May work evenings, weekends, or holidays based on project deadlines or special assignments.
• Foster a collaborative, team-oriented work environment.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by senior leadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited institution in Statistics, Education, Organizational Development, Business Analytics, Information Technology, Psychology, or a related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in institutional research.
• Demonstrated experience in data analysis, data collection, survey design, and federal reporting, including submissions to the National Student Clearinghouse and IPEDS.
• Proven experience preparing IPEDS and state reports.
• Advanced statistical methods, including sampling, correlation analysis, and forecasting as applied to educational and social research.
• Quantitative and qualitative research design and analysis techniques.
• Survey design, implementation, and analysis.
• Data visualization and communication strategies.
• Statistical and reporting tools (e.g., R, SPSS, SQL, Tableau).
• Principles of effective written and oral communication.
• Technical report writing and presentation of narrative/statistical data.
• Higher education accountability and reporting requirements ( e.g., IPEDS, National Student Clearinghouse).

Location;  

Position is 100% on- site presence