Accreditation and Data Analyst

About the Role

At Marymount University, we believe meaningful work happens when talented people come together with shared purpose. We serve not only our students—but one another—creating a culture where teamwork, adaptability, and resilience are part of everyday practice. Located in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes from Washington, D.C., Marymount offers a dynamic and forward-looking environment where innovation is encouraged and flexibility is valued. We understand that higher education is evolving, and we embrace change with creativity, responsiveness, and a solutions-oriented mindset. Our faculty and staff thrive in a community that prioritizes communication, cross-functional collaboration, and service-driven leadership. Whether working directly with students or supporting them behind the scenes, every role contributes to a shared mission: helping students grow, succeed, and lead with purpose and confidence.

The Accreditation and Data Analyst will support institutional effectiveness through project management, survey research, accreditation compliance, and peer benchmarking. The role will coordinate data and research requests, communicate with campus stakeholders, and maintain PIE resources. The position is based in the Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE) department and reports to the Director of PIE.

Responsibilities

• Project Management and Stakeholder Communication – 30%
  • Manages incoming data and research requests submitted to Planning & Institutional Effectiveness (PIE).
  • Documents dates requests received and responded to, answers questions, partners with PIE colleagues on complex inquiries, and provides guidance on project prioritization.
  • Facilitates professional communication and collaboration among academic, administrative, and technical teams.
  • Reviews, updates, and maintains the PIE website.
  • Develops innovative resources and data visualizations to effectively communicate data and information.
  • Provides training and guidance to faculty and staff on accreditation, data collection, analysis, and use of results.
• Survey Research, Analysis, & Presentation — 30%
  • Owns the institutional survey portfolio, including the survey calendar, instrument review, sampling, response-rate strategy, deployment, data quality, redaction, nonresponse analysis, national surveys, integration of survey and administrative data, and dissemination of results.
  • Manages specific internal institutional surveys: Course Evaluations (Watermark CES), Faculty Evaluations (Qualtrics), and the Graduating Student Survey.
  • Develops dashboards integrating completion, first-destination, employment, earnings, employer, occupational-demand, and graduate education data for academic-program review, program viability, strategic planning, and institutional reporting.
  • Assists units in designing and evaluating programs using national and institutional benchmarks, outcomes measures, mixed methods, longitudinal analysis, and cost-effectiveness methods.
  • Designs and conducts qualitative institutional research, including interviews, focus groups, open-ended response analysis, case studies, and thematic analysis.
• Accreditation Compliance Support — 30%
  • Serves as the operational lead for assembling and maintaining the institution's SACSCOC reaffirmation and compliance evidence base under the direction of the institutional SACSCOC liaison.
  • Interprets and applies SACSCOC principles and standards; reconstructs decennial timeline and substantive-change/teach-out records; authors public-disclosure compliance audits; builds and maintains the specialized-accreditation inventory.
  • Engineers an organized accreditation-evidence repository and supports monitoring/review submissions.
  • Assists in coordinating SACSCOC review visits, including logistics, documentation, and institutional response.
  • Ensures timely and accurate submission of all accreditation materials and correspondence.
  • Maintains the University’s required Student Achievement disclosures.
• Peer Benchmarking – 10%
  • Develops, documents, and regularly reviews institutional peer, aspirational, and competitor groups for analytical purposes.
  • Conducts comparative analyses of enrollment, retention, graduation, transfer, placement, post-graduation outcomes, tuition and financial aid, academic programs, staffing, faculty activity, finances, student demographics, institutional resources, productivity, and overall institutional performance.
  • Monitors competitor institutions, market position, emerging programs, pricing, enrollment trends, and other developments that may affect Marymount.
  • Ensures the validity, consistency, and interpretation of comparative data from federal, state, institutional, and other sources.
  • Prepares recurring benchmarking reports, dashboards, and analyses for senior leaders, identifies performance gaps and emerging opportunities, and translates findings into recommendations for strategic planning, program development, resource allocation, enrollment management, and continuous improvement.
• Non-Essential Functions
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in education, social science, public administration, business, data analytics, statistics, or a related field.
• At least two years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, institutional effectiveness, assessment, accreditation, survey research, program evaluation, data analysis, or a related function.
• Experience designing, administering, analyzing, and reporting results from surveys.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data and translate findings into clear reports, presentations, dashboards, or recommendations.
• Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and follow-through.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, administrators, and technical personnel.
• Experience working with large or complex datasets and applying appropriate data quality, confidentiality, and documentation practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and at least one survey, statistical, business-intelligence, or data-visualization platform.
• Ability to interpret policies, standards, and regulatory requirements and maintain organized evidence and documentation.
• Demonstrated commitment to integrity, discretion, service, and responsible stewardship of institutional information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education, institutional research, educational research, assessment, statistics, data analytics, public administration, social science, or a related field.
• Four or more years of relevant experience in institutional research, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, assessment, survey research, or program evaluation.
• Experience supporting regional accreditation, preferably SACSCOC reaffirmation, and knowledge of SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation and related policies and procedures.
• Experience managing a survey portfolio, including survey calendars, sampling, response-rate improvement, nonresponse analysis, confidentiality, and dissemination, and experience with Qualtrics, Watermark Course Evaluations and Surveys, or comparable survey systems.
• Experience developing dashboards and data visualizations using Power BI, Tableau, or a comparable platform.
• Experience conducting qualitative or mixed-method research, including interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis, and open-ended response analysis.
• Experience with program evaluation, longitudinal analysis, benchmarking, cost-effectiveness analysis, or outcomes assessment.
• Experience analyzing post-graduation, first-destination, employment, earnings, graduate-school, employer, or labor-market data.
• Experience conducting comparative analyses using IPEDS, College Scorecard, state, institutional, or third-party data.
• Knowledge of higher education enrollment, retention, graduation, academic programs, tuition, financial aid, staffing, faculty activity, and financial indicators.
• Experience preparing analyses and presentations for senior leadership.
• Experience maintaining websites, report repositories, data dictionaries, or institutional research documentation.
• Working knowledge of SQL, R, Python, SPSS, SAS, or another statistical or programming language.
• Familiarity with FERPA, data privacy, suppression, redaction, and ethical use of institutional data.
• Experience providing training or consultation to faculty and staff on surveys, assessment, accreditation, data interpretation, or program evaluation.

Skills

• Knowledge of and ability to follow university policies and procedures.
• Ability to demonstrate exceptional service in alignment with "Serve with Purpose" and establish effective working relationships with the campus community.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).
• Workday proficiency related to the role.

Work Environment

Work is performed primarily in a professional office environment with extensive use of computers, databases, survey platforms, videoconferencing, and other standard office technology. The position involves frequent interaction and collaboration with faculty, staff, administrators, vendors, and external reviewers, both in person and virtually. Work requires sustained attention to detail, management of multiple priorities and deadlines, and appropriate handling of confidential or sensitive institutional information. Occasional evening or extended hours and limited travel may be required during accreditation reviews, institutional events, or other time-sensitive projects. Periodic hybrid or remote work may be available in accordance with University policy.

Physical Requirements

The position primarily involves sedentary work and requires the ability to remain at a computer workstation for extended periods; operate standard office equipment; communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through virtual platforms; and review, enter, analyze, and present detailed information in electronic and printed formats. The employee must occasionally move throughout campus to attend meetings, training sessions, presentations, and accreditation-related activities. The role may require occasional lifting, carrying, or moving of files, supplies, or equipment weighing up to 20 pounds.

Pay

The salary range for the position is $65,000–$73,000, competitive and market-based, aligned with the University’s financial framework.

Benefits

As a valued member of our team, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial security, and work-life balance. This includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; FSA or HSA options.