Director of Institutional Research

Employer Info:

Williams College



http://williams.edu

Established in 1793, Williams College is private, residential liberal arts college with an undergraduate enrollment is approximately 2,200 students. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1. Williams admits U.S. students without regard to their ability to pay. The college meets 100 percent of every admitted student’s demonstrated financial need for four years. Just over half of all Williams students receive financial aid from the college. There are three academic divisions (languages and the arts, social sciences, and science and mathematics) that encompass 25 departments, 36 majors, and several concentrations and special programs. The academic year consists of two four-course semesters plus a one-course January term. The mascot is the Purple Cow. Williamstown is located in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, 135 miles from Boston and 165 miles from New York City.
Job Name
Director of Institutional Research
Posting Date
03/13/2020
Brief Description
Williams College invites applications for the position of Director of Institutional Research. Reporting to the Provost, the Director is a strategic partner in institutional planning and decision-making across key areas of the college. The Director identifies important research questions, gathers and analyzes critical data, and communicates results to college leadership, including senior staff, the president, and the board of trustees. The Director is responsible for setting the vision and strategic direction of the Office of Institutional Research and for managing its day-to-day activities. The Director serves on key college committees, including the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid and the Diversity Action Research Team, and leads the college’s efforts around data governance. The Director also serves as a liaison to external organizations such as COFHE and ensures that we provide consistent and accurate information to internal and external audiences.
Job Category
Institutional Research
Job Type
Full-Time
Education Level Required
Masters
Location City
Williamstown, MA 01267, United states
How to Apply
For optimal consideration, please submit resume materials by April 3, 2020. We will begin reviewing applications shortly thereafter. To apply for this position, please visit http://staff-careers.williams.edu. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Human Resources via phone at (413) 597-4247 or email at hr@williams.edu.
Direct Link
Click here for more info
Job Details

This is an exciting moment for institutional research at Williams. The college is in the midst of its first strategic planning exercise, which has elevated the importance of using data to track and help meet our most important commitments in areas such as student support, teaching effectiveness, financial aid, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Director will inform and advise senior staff, the president, and the board of trustees about opportunities, progress, and challenges in both setting and meeting ambitious college-wide goals. The Director will also partner with leaders across the college to deepen data analytical capacity in individual departments and areas.

Institutional Research works closely with students, faculty, and staff from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and interests. In addition, the Office plays a critical role in data construction and analysis around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion. Applicants should highlight relevant experience with building, working with, and supporting a broadly diverse community.

Responsibilities include:

  • Lead the college’s efforts to collect and analyze institutionally important data that inform institutional priorities.
  • Provide data and analysis to describe the college to internal and external audiences and ensure compliance with mandatory data reporting and data exchanges with peers.
  • Partner with college leaders to expand our capacity to make data-informed decisions in academic departments and other areas of the college.
  • Work with staff in institutional research to support teaching assessment through course evaluations and other internal and external surveys.
  • Provide academic units with critical information for self-studies and department reviews.
  • Build up consistent and repeatable data analyses for units across campus.
  • Serve as a key management partner in the transition from PeopleSoft to a new ERP.
  • Coordinate and co-lead the college’s accreditation process with the support of the President’s office.
  • Lead the data governance program.
  • Manage the budget and operations of the Institutional Research office. Supervise the staff, consisting of an associate director and an institutional research analyst. </ul>

Candidates will have a minimum of a Master’s degree (or the equivalent) in a related discipline with five or more years of relevant experience in institutional research or related fields with an emphasis on data handling and analysis. Successful candidates will have strong analytical skills, experience developing and implementing research strategies, and excellent leadership and communication skills. Experience in higher education or similar institutional environments is preferred, with at least three years of progressive leadership experience.

This is a full-time year-round position. Job group 2-A.

Williams College is a coeducational, liberal arts institution located in western Massachusetts, roughly three hours from both Boston and New York City. Williams’ reputation as one of the top colleges in the nation is built on the outstanding teaching and scholarship of its faculty, on the academic excellence of its students, and the enormous talent of its administrative and support staff who actively advance its institutional mission.

Employment at Williams is contingent on verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check.