Data Strategy & Decision Support Manager

The University of Georgia, chartered in 1785, is the birthplace of public higher education in America and the state’s flagship university. Located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, UGA is ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The university employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff, with an enrollment exceeding 41,000 students across 19 schools and colleges.

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the heart of UGA’s learning environment, advancing research, scholarship, and creative output across more than 80-degree programs and 40+ units.

About the role

The Data Strategy & Decision Support Manager serves as the lead for data strategy, analytics, and reporting for Franklin College of Arts & Sciences (Franklin College). This position provides college-wide leadership in business intelligence (BI), data governance, and reporting, supporting academic, administrative, and research functions and decisions. The role delivers data-driven insights, dashboards, and reporting solutions to college leadership, integrating data from multiple institutional systems and translating it into actionable intelligence to support strategic planning, operational efficiency, and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of Data Strategy and Reporting (30%)
  • Lead the design and execution of a college-wide business intelligence and reporting strategy
  • Oversee production of standard, regulatory, and ad hoc reports
  • Interpret and present complex data findings to college leadership
  • Coordinate reporting across academic units, finance, HR, and research administration
  • Ensure data quality, governance, and consistency across systems
• Business Intelligence Development & Analytics (30%)
  • Develop and maintain interactive dashboards, visualizations, and BI tools
  • Perform advanced analytics, data mining, and trend analysis to inform strategic decisions
  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, transparency, and performance tracking
• Data Systems Integration & Management (20%)
  • Lead integration across systems including faculty activity systems, HR, finance, student, and research data
  • Serve as functional lead for key systems supporting faculty and college data
  • Partner with EITS and Institutional Research on data architecture and system enhancements
  • Establish best practices for data governance, security, and lifecycle management
• Stakeholder Engagement, Training, and Support (10%)
  • Serve as the primary BI and reporting liaison for college leadership
  • Develop and deliver training programs for dashboards, reporting tools, and data systems
  • Translate business needs into technical requirements and reporting solutions
  • Promote a data-informed decision-making culture across Franklin College
• Team Leadership & Project Management (10%)
  • Lead cross-functional analytics projects and initiatives
  • Manage priorities across multiple concurrent reporting and system efforts
  • Collaborate across college units to deliver integrated solutions

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent
• 5 years of professional experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced expertise in data analysis, visualization, and BI platforms
• Strong understanding of higher education data domains (faculty, student, research, finance, HR)
• Ability to integrate, analyze, and interpret large, complex datasets
• Experience with data governance and system integration
• Strong communication skills with ability to present insights to non-technical audiences
• Proven ability to manage projects, prioritize work, and operate independently
• High level of customer service, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement

Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Evening or weekend work may be required.

Physical Demands

• Sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling
• Spending long periods of time at a computer