Director of Institutional Research

🔍 Institutional Research & Decision Support, Stanford, California, United States

New

📁: Administration

📅   : 23 hours ago Post Date

📅   : 106096 Requisition #

To be considered, please submit a resume and cover letter expressing what makes you interested in the position and how your skills and capabilities align with the job requirements along with your online application.

UNIT DESCRIPTION:

The Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support (IR&DS) aims to be the first-choice provider of timely, high-quality, accessible information and analysis for informed decision-making at Stanford. We analyze and report on data from all of Stanford’s major administrative systems, including student, faculty, course, research, and financial data. Our team provides Stanford extensive expertise in analysis, statistics, survey research, assessment, data warehousing, data governance, reporting, and visualization. On behalf of university leadership, departments, and central offices, we perform and facilitate complex analyses that drive organizational change. Collaborations with university stakeholders and with peer universities ensure we can collect and provide relevant data, dashboards, and reports. We pride ourselves on our exceptional client relationships, our ability to clearly communicate with and about data, and on our efforts to foster an environment where IR&DS staff work effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively. Learn more about us at https://irds.stanford.edu/about

JOB PURPOSE:

The Director of Institutional Research leads the institutional research function for Stanford University, exercising analytical leadership over:

Research studies on the university’s performance of its mission. Examples include studies into student success and degree pathways, predictive analytics, and comparative studies leveraging peer data.
Creation of dashboards and decision support tools.
Reporting of core institutional metrics, such as population headcounts and degree completions. The Director of IR oversees reporting to governmental agencies and external bodies on Stanford’s behalf.
In collaboration with the Data Governance Program Director, establishes data definitions and terms of appropriate use for data related to students and the educational mission.

The audiences for the work of the institutional research team include the Board of Trustees and executive university leadership. Increasingly, however, the Director of IR leads efforts to provide information and insight to all university constituencies, including faculty, students, and staff. Collaborating with other directors in IR&DS, the Director of IR determines which findings to share publicly through the IR&DS website (https://irds.stanford.edu/data-findings). The Director of IR ensures that university stakeholders receive timely, rigorous, and accurate reporting and analysis. The Director of IR achieves the mission and goals of the group through the management of six institutional research analysts.

The Director of IR reports to the Associate Vice Provost and Director of IR&DS.

CORE DUTIES*:

Proactively identify the issues/challenges having the most value to the university and determine methodologies for collecting and analyzing data from multiple sources on these issues.
Create multi-year strategic plans to ensure that the university will have access to data and findings needed for decision support and program evaluation.
Advise senior management on programmatic and policy development. Provide input to university leadership on policies and organizational practices.
Advise and consult on analytical efforts outside of the organization, including for other university units and for peer consortia.
Drive collection of new data and the refinement of existing data sources. Assures reliable and consistent data is maintained and available for both ad hoc and longitudinal inquiries
Create research designs and analytical plans. Use statistical or other techniques to analyze data.
Create communication plans and strategies for ensuring that university stakeholders and decision-makers receive information in the manner that is most suited to the audience.
Create quality assurance plans and strategies to ensure that the findings produced are accurate.
Interact with and influence senior university leaders, faculty, and/or the faculty senate with written summaries and/or presentations.
May need to collaborate with other organizations to gather data. Proactively seek and locate data, including outside benchmarks or comparative data, to support or refute proposed decisions.
Direct staff and provide leadership to achieve goals and vision of the organization. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, professional development, and accountable for the performance of direct reports.

* - Other duties may also be assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and seven years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management, or combination of education and relevant experience.
Preferred: Advanced degree and seven years of extensive, relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience solving analytical problems using quantitative and qualitative approaches preferred. Knowledge and experience of data science, statistics, education research, or social science research.
Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, planning, and change management skills.
Advanced analytical and research skills.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Flexible analytical approach crafting multiple options with supporting arguments for the same goal and allowing for results at varying levels of precision.
Excellent oral and written communication skills. Able to influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively, and resolve conflicts.
Facilitation skills to conduct meetings to achieve the desired outcome and manage projects within time constraints.
Facility in manipulating and analyzing complex, high-volume, high-dimensionality data from varying sources.
Extensive experience in and strong passion for empirical research and answering hard questions with data.
Ability to use data retrieval and manipulation tools such as SQL, R, or similar.
Ability to use data visualization tools, such as Tableau, to communicate findings through visualization.
Advanced proficiency with statistical tools such as SPSS, Stata, R or similar.
Subject matter expertise in higher education research, student analytics, or university planning.
In depth knowledge of university administrative organization, policies, procedures, and practices for institutional research-oriented roles.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:

Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks.
Frequently sit, sort, file paperwork or parts, grasp lightly, and use fine manipulation, lift, carry, push and pull objects that weigh 10 pounds or less.
Occasionally write by hand, twist, bend, stoop and squat.
Rarely stand, walk, reach or work above shoulders and use a telephone.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

May work extended hours during peak business cycles.

WORK STANDARDS:

Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US to be considered for this position.

Why Stanford is for You

Imagine a world without search engines or social platforms. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enrich the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy. Our culture and unique perks empower you with:

Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.
A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
A healthier you. Climb our rock wall, or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We also provide excellent health care benefits.
Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.
Enviable resources. Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and more

The expected pay range for this position is $198,098 to $240,000 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Additional Information