Director of Institutional Research and Analytics

Job Summary

The Director of Institutional Research and Analytics is a critical role at Waubonsee Community College, responsible for integrating data science methodologies, machine learning, and advanced analytics into institutional research to strengthen insights that guide student success, enrollment strategies, and operational efficiencies.

About the Role

Reporting to and working collaboratively with the Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness, Innovation, and Planning, this position integrates data science methodologies, machine learning, and advanced analytics into institutional research to strengthen insights that guide student success, enrollment strategies, and operational efficiencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead data governance, assessment, and institutional research compliance efforts, collaborating with senior leadership to optimize institutional effectiveness.
• Develop and execute a research agenda aligned with accreditation, post-secondary outcomes, and program evaluation.
• Apply statistical modeling, machine learning, and data mining to student outcomes and program evaluation.
• Manage data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring findings inform institutional policies and practices.
• Support faculty and staff using research tools, statistical programming (e.g., R, Python), and methodologies for curriculum and program assessment.
• Establish and enforce data governance policies, ensuring accuracy, security, and ethical use of institutional data.
• Implement data visualization, predictive analytics, and AI/ML techniques to drive insight into student outcomes, workforce development, and institutional performance.
• Collaborate with the IT department to enhance data systems for reporting, compliance, and strategic planning (e.g., data warehouses, cloud-based analytics, and machine learning pipelines).
• Foster a data-informed culture, providing training in modern analytics and data science techniques to faculty, staff, and administrators.
• Collaborate with faculty, administrators, and staff, ensuring research findings are integrated into decision-making processes.
• Serve as a resource for institutional research, guiding evidence-based approaches to academic and administrative improvements.
• Develop executive-level reports, translating complex analytics into actionable strategies for senior leadership.
• Represent the college in state and regional discussions on institutional research, analytics, and data science applications in higher education.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Higher Education, Educational Research, Statistics, Data Science, Public Policy, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of three (3) years of significant experience in institutional research and/or data analytics responsibilities within a higher education setting.
• A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience is required.
• Strong background in data science, statistical modeling, and advanced analytics.
• Expertise in institutional research, assessment, and IR compliance.
• Experience with predictive modeling, machine learning, and AI applications in higher education or related fields preferred.
• Proficiency in Python, R, SQL, and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI).
• Familiarity with cloud-based data platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) preferred.
• Ability to translate complex data into strategic recommendations.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to lead teams, manage projects, and collaborate across departments.

Qualifications

• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to lead teams, manage projects, and collaborate across departments.

Skills

• Data science methodologies, machine learning, and advanced analytics.
• Data governance, assessment, and institutional research compliance.
• Predictive modeling, machine learning, and AI applications in higher education or related fields.
• Python, R, SQL, and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI).
• Familiarity with cloud-based data platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
• Ability to translate complex data into strategic recommendations.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to lead teams, manage projects, and collaborate across departments.

Benefits

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Pay

The pay for this position will be determined by your experience, education, and qualifications.

Schedule

M-F 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Targeted Hire Date

11/20/2025