Director of Institutional Research

Employer Info:

Lehigh University

http://www.lehigh.edu

Lehigh is a premier residential university, annually ranked in the top tier of national research universities. A coeducational, nondenominational, private university, Lehigh’s four colleges and numerous research centers contribute to a vibrant, collaborative academic community that serves undergraduate and graduate students from across the globe. The university rewards creativity, leadership, and innovation. And our commitment to excellence and intellectual curiosity are the underpinnings in everything we do. These core values also influence our compensation and benefits program for faculty and staff. In addition to competitive salaries, medical, and life insurance, we offer generous retirement contributions and a tuition remission program for employees and their families. Lehigh’s hillside campus is situated on 1,600 acres in eastern Pennsylvania’s scenic Lehigh Valley. The region features outdoor recreational opportunities, numerous cultural activities, and a rich history that Lehigh has been a part of since 1865. The location is also in close proximity to the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.
Job Name
Director of Institutional Research
Posting Date
05/08/2019
Brief Description
The Director reports to the Vice Provost of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics and works independently with other administrators, staff and faculty members to oversee and/or assist with special studies, survey design and research, statistical analysis, business intelligence and strategic analytics. Specific responsibilities include: oversee the compilation, verification and analysis of regularly disseminated statistical institutional data and information; lead the development of research studies to inform decision making and planning; include use of data visualization and strategic analytics in preparing reports of the findings; manage the office and supervise staff on a day-to-day basis and maintain a cycle of regular institutional studies and reports, archival data and key indicators to support the recurring decision-making needs of the University; serve as Data Manager of Institutional Research related data and as primary contact for official University information; supervise and administer the course evaluation process, as well as the electronic voting process of faculty matters conducted through the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics; and serve as representative for the Vice Provost or the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics on various campus committees and external professional organizations. This role will support the outreach efforts of OIRSA to campus data consumers, serving as a consultant on the availability and accuracy of institutional data.
Job Category
Institutional Research
Job Type
Full-Time
Education Level Required
Masters
Location City
Bethlehem, PA 18015, United states
How to Apply
Apply via the job posting on Lehigh web site:
https://lehigh.hiretouch.com/position-details?jobID=55263&job=director
Direct Link
Click here for more info
Job Details
List of Accountabilities:
  1. Oversee the compilation, verification and analysis of regularly disseminated statistical institutional data and information
    • Oversee the collection and analysis of data from internal and external sources; supervise all processes associated with the extraction, collection, evaluation, analysis and reporting of statistical data using various software 
    • Monitor the overall integrity of data, complying with state and federal requirements and taking appropriate steps to correct data discrepancies when noted
    • Determine and ensure accuracy of census enrollments as well as accuracy and timeliness of various census reports and annual University information
    • Ensure key metrics regarding the profile of the institution are compiled and published
    • In collaboration with Human Resources, Payroll, Budget Office and the Provost’s Office determine the University’s annual Employee Census
  2. Lead the development of research studies to inform decision making and planning; include use of data visualization and strategic analytics in preparing reports of the findings
    • Conceptualize, develop, and implement analyses as needed by University senior leadership and various office constituencies
    • Oversee documentation efforts for business rules/logic, ensuring the reason behind a particular analysis or project is captured
    • Assist various departments with internal surveys for the purpose of program assessment
    • Design and implement survey research projects, program complex web-based surveys, and administer web-based surveys
    • Analyze survey data using a variety of statistical methods to interpret results and prepare summary reports
    • Collect and analyze data from internal and external sources, and perform comparison and benchmark analyses
    • Conduct quantitative research and analysis, interpret data for use in strategic planning, assessment and decision support and prepare written summaries and reports of research findings and recommendations
    • Present data and summary analysis in a clear and concise manner
    • Create and design reports based on external comparisons to peer institutions for decision support of senior level administrators, and contribute to the design and maintenance of the OIRSA dashboards provided to the Board of Trustees and the University community
  3. Manage the office, supervise staff on a day-to-day basis and maintain a cycle of regular institutional studies and reports, archival data and key indicators to support the recurring decision-making needs of the University
    • Supervise the strategic analytics staff
    • In collaboration with the Vice Provost, manage employment, position evaluation and approval for new hires
    • Manage staff performance; including training, mentoring, goal setting, professional development and annual appraisal
    • Plan, assign and schedule work/projects and periodically review progress with the Vice Provost
    • Manage data requests and assign requests to office staff
    • Formulate procedures for the management of records; track and monitor on-going institutional research surveys and strategic analytics projects
    • Maximize office productivity through the use of software applications
    • Work collaboratively with the the Data Governance Manager and strategic analytics staff to complete projects, create consistent documentation and ensure adherence to data management principles
    • Represent the office in University meetings, conferences or professional organizations related to institutional data analysis
    • Attend executive level team meetings to provide leadership information or to design new data models to assist in identifying a solution or providing insight to strategic planning
  4. Serve as the Data Manager of Institutional Research related data and as the primary contact for official University information; respond to internal data requests and mandatory external reports, including state and federal reporting and requests from private agencies
    • Keep appraised of national, state and educational trends/issues, communicating changes with senior leadership and taking action as appropriate
    • Prepare federal, state and University reports and data requests, according to documented requirements ensuring accuracy and timeliness
    • Monitor the overall integrity of data, complying with state and federal requirements and taking appropriate steps to correct data discrepancies when noted
    • Serve as the University’s IPEDS Key-holder and Middle States Institutional Profile Key User; oversee and coordinate the data collection, create and assign login credentials to appropriate units that contribute information and ensure accuracy of data
    • Coordinate data submission to PA Department of Education, VETS Federal Contractor Reporting, NSF, accrediting agencies, consortiums and college guides 
    • Create and modify data queries within the University’s enterprise system application
    • Supervise data collection of internal data by delegating certain portions of external surveys to other departments, as well as monitor response time to ensure reporting within specified deadline
    • Ensure University compliance with federal and state reporting guidelines regarding Institutional Research related data
    • In collaboration with a representative of the Enterprise Systems Implementation Group, coordinate and ensure the implementation of new data collection requirements that relate to mandated federal and state reporting
    • Ensure timely and accurate reporting by monitoring due dates of individual surveys and requesting deadline extensions if necessary
    • Respond to internal and external ad-hoc data requests from senior officers, committees and external constituents in an accurate, efficient and timely fashion
    • Contribute to the assessment process through data analysis and review
  5. Supervise and administer the course evaluation process, as well as the electronic voting process of faculty matters conducted through the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics
    • Provide expertise to the academic coordinators, chairs, and individual faculty members concerning the administration and processing of course evaluations
    • Oversee the course evaluation process; ensure accuracy of queries used in to generate lists of courses that require evaluations, and proper setup of evaluation system includes current forms, appropriate e-mail notifications to students, department representatives, instructors and summary reports
    • Develop customized delivery of course evaluation summary reports to faculty and academic leaders
    • Supervise the generation of summary reports and distribution of statistical analysis to individual department chairs, college deans and data upload to Lyterati for purposes of assisting with the merit and tenure review process
    • Serve as the primary resource to individual faculty members to aid in the improvement of curriculum, faculty development and better understanding of student satisfaction
    • Work with appropriate faculty committee representatives to design/create ballots for matters that require electronic voting
    • Generate accurate lists of current voting faculty members, administer and monitor electronic voting and upon completion provide faculty representative with summary of the results of the election