Director, Research and Business Intelligence

AASCU seeks an experienced, strategic, and hands on Director of Research and Business Intelligence (Director) to lead the delivery of data supported information that supports AASCU’s vision and the realization of transformational change. The Director serves as the primary lead for the organization’s research, analysis, and assessment with an intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Director will also lead the implementation and maintenance of organization’s strategy on data governance.

Internally, the Director is responsible for researching and analyzing AASCU’s membership data to inform advocacy and public policy; promote and support AASCU as a data-informed organization committed to continuous improvement; support systematic assessment and evaluation of programs and services across AASCU and lead a data governance strategy that promotes an organizational culture of data quality, management, and security.

Externally, the Director is responsible for advancing AASCU’s research agenda in support and advocacy for regional public universities. In addition, the incumbent will work closely with partners and funders to produce research reports of relevance and interest to our members and sector (e.g., enrollment, rural, student success, etc.).

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The Director will report directly to the Vice President & Chief of Staff and will work across the organization. The Director will oversee a small team that will include a senior research analyst.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research/Data Analysis

• Lead the effective use of AASCU’s organizational and member data for reporting, analysis, and actionable insight;
• Provide methodological expertise to AASCU executive leadership regarding collection and analysis of data to monitor progress on the Association’s strategic plan;
• Oversee and monitor the data strategy for externally funded initiatives;
• Oversee the organization’s data support for student success initiatives;
• Deliver analysis/findings in a manner that conveys understanding, garners support for recommendations, drives institutional decisions, and influences strategy;
• Prototype, develop, test & execute data analytics and data visualization tools, including exploring how we can make greater use of large volumes of unstructured data.

Data Strategy and Governance

• Champion data governance efforts and strive to create a strong culture of data integrity and hygiene;
• In conjunction with AASCU leadership, execute, support and maintain a multi-year data strategy for AASCU to include operational and analytical data;
• Collaborate in leading data governance guidelines and policies and information management efforts;
• Promote ongoing development of AASCU’s analytic and forecasting capability;

• Implement and maintain data management practices;
• Provide content expertise regarding data methodologies, existing federal data sets, and issues related to data privacy and governance;
• Manage AASCU data, technical assistance, analytics, dashboards, and data services (i.e., NSC, IPEDS, Power BI, etc.);
• Serve as a resource to the AASCU IT steering committee; and
• Serve as the staff liaison to the AASCU presidential research committee.

Assessment

• Provide consultation and work collaboratively across divisions to support the development of pre- and post-programmatic assessments (e.g., New President Academy, Millennium Leadership Initiative, etc.);
• Provide consultation and guidance to the meetings team to create assessment protocols and best practices for annual convenings (e.g., Presidential Symposia, Annual Conference, Academic Affairs Meeting, etc.);
• Partner with the Finance team to incorporate financial metrics into assessments; and
• Provide consultation and training to support AASCU leadership and staff to embrace a culture of assessment.

Reporting

• Incorporate visualization techniques to support the relevant points of the analysis and ease the understanding for less technical audiences;
• Elevate the voices of individuals and organizations not always heard in policy analysis and strategy;
• Provide high-level data analysis and optimize data visualization to communicate with internal and external stakeholders.

Management

• In consultation with the Vice President & Chief of Staff, prioritize and support the strategic direction of the team;

• Lead planning and execution of team deliverables including ensuring timely delivery and quality control;
• Bring an entrepreneurial spirit, an adaptive mindset, and a collaborative approach in creating a robust data-enriched environment;
• Maintain AASCU’s relationships with other higher education research organizations and postsecondary data constituents;
• Understand a variety of perspectives, manage priorities, and decisively meet expectations; and
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Proven ability to independently manage a high performing team that delivers accurate and actionable data to support AASCU’s strategic plan and goals.
• Demonstrated understanding of the changing demographics and diversity in the United States;
• Awareness of higher education issues and challenges (e.g., enrollment, completion, funding, geography, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in building multi-year strategies.
• Strong communication and organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks, seamlessly, with excellent attention to detail in a busy work environment.
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate the needs of various divisions, and provide research and analytics to support those needs.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think critically, with strong interest in innovation, user experience, and customer service.
• Ability to summarize and clearly convey complex information to varying audiences.
• Resourceful team-player, with the ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a fast-paced, diverse, and inclusive team setting, remaining flexible, and proactive.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A master’s degree in business intelligence, education, statistics, measurement, mathematics, business, economics, policy or a related discipline is required.

• 6 to 8 years of experience as a data scientist or in a related field.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with national data sets, including IPEDS, College Scorecard, BPS, NELS, Census Data, and other relevant sources of information on students and postsecondary institutions.
• Demonstrated success overseeing/collecting/synthesizing student success progression metrics and providing high level analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience with the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and statistical and visualization software (e.g., r, STATA, SQL, Power BI, NVIVO, etc.) for data mining, visualization, and analysis purposes.

Only complete applications will be considered which includes a resume AND a cover letter. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LOCATION

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision insurance; 15 paid holidays plus additional annual leave; above market contribution to company sponsored 403(b) retirement plan; tuition assistance, on-site fitness facility, 24/7 building security, secured bike storage and more. Additionally, available underground public parking is accessible for all employees at their own expense.

This is a full-time position located at AASCU’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. AASCU staff are currently required to be in the office in a hybrid schedule of 2 days in the office and 3 days optional remote. All AASCU staff are required to be fully vaccinated including boosters as recommended by the CDC schedule. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

AASCU is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

AASCU is committed to creating and maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an opportunity to participate and contribute to the success of the business and are valued for their skills, experience, and unique perspectives. This commitment is embodied in all Association policies and the way we do business at AASCU.