Chief Data Officer

Requisition E00061P · Executive · 12 months/year · Alternate work schedule · Salary grade · FLSA Exempt

About the role

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) serves as the primary data strategist and operational data leader at Weber State University. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Administrative Services and working in close strategic and operational partnership with the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the CDO leads university-wide data governance, data privacy, analytics infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making to support student success and operational excellence. This role balances high-level policy with tactical execution. Beyond establishing governance policies, the CDO actively engages with data pipelines, reporting frameworks, and analytical tools to turn raw data into actionable institutional insights. The CDO ensures institutional data is accurate, secure, compliant with privacy mandates, and accessible for strategic planning, enrollment management, and academic outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Data Pipeline & Model Operations: Actively audit, build, and optimize institutional data workflows, predictive models, and reporting structures alongside the core data analyst team.
• Student Success Analytics: Responsible for the analysis of complex datasets related to student enrollment, engagement, retention, course offering optimization, and student support services to yield actionable insights.
• Self-Service & Dashboard Development: Responsible for the design, deployment, and maintenance of user-friendly dashboards and self-service analytics platforms for academic and administrative decision-makers.
• Privacy Framework Operationalization: Establish, maintain, and enforce robust data privacy protocols aligned with FERPA, state privacy regulations, and industry standards across all campus data handling practices.
• Access Controls & Data Minimization: Work directly with data stewards and IT security teams to define, audit, and maintain role-based access controls, data retention schedules, and data minimization practices.
• Privacy Audits & Risk Assessments: Conduct practical data privacy assessments and security risk evaluations across administrative departments, academic units, and third-party software integrations.
• Ethical Data Management: Establish campus-wide standards for ethical data collection, algorithmic transparency, and responsible AI usage in student monitoring and institutional analytics.
• Data Integrity & Standard Enforcement: Develop and directly supervise data quality standards, data dictionaries, and master data management across core enterprise platforms.
• Policy Translation: Translate abstract governance policies into practical, day-to-day operational workflows, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and data stewardship guidelines.
• Infrastructure Coordination: Partner closely with the CIO to ensure institutional data architecture, cloud storage, and ETL pipelines align with operational needs and scalability.
• Academic & Administrative Alignment: Build collaborative relationships with Associate Provosts, Deans, Vice Presidents, and department heads to identify critical data needs and deliver custom analytical solutions.
• Data Literacy & Capability Building: Responsible for hands-on training sessions and workshops for faculty and staff to build practical data literacy and self-service capabilities across campus.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Data Analytics, Computer Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Higher Education Administration, or related field.
• 8 years of related work experience.
• Experience with database languages, business intelligence/data visualization tools, data modeling, and complex reporting environments.
• Background check required as a condition of employment.

Physical Requirements

• Physical Activity: Expressing or exchanging ideas; conveying detailed or important instructions to other workers accurately or quickly; ability to receive detailed information with or without assistance.
• Physical Requirements: Light work — exerting up to 20 lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10 lbs of force frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects; use of arm and/or leg controls exerting forces greater than that for sedentary work.
• Visual Acuity: Required to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; using a computer terminal; extensive reading (including color, depth perception, and field of vision).
• Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (typical office or administrative work).

Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, including familiarity with Student Information Systems (like Ellucian Banner, Workday).
• Doctorate degree in a related field of study.
• Significant experience with analytics tools and platforms.
• Demonstrated management and supervisory abilities.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to form collaborative relationships with other university offices including academic colleges and units.
• The ability to prioritize and manage multiple, simultaneous projects with attention to detail and adherence to deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from a variety of communities and cultures.
• Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and procedures governing data confidentiality and security.
• Advanced