Institutional Survey Officer

Vancouver Island University; Nanaimo; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefit plan

Excellent pension plan

Flexible work opportunities

Job summary

Vancouver Island University seeks an Institutional Survey Officer to lead the design, administration, analysis and dissemination of major surveys, aligning activities with institutional priorities. The role includes governance of survey platforms and collaboration with privacy and ethics offices to ensure compliant practices.

We value strong data governance, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to translate results into strategic actions across academic and administrative units.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in data analytics, statistics, educations or similar; minimum three years related experience.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and SPSS (or equivalent), and understanding of survey methodology.
• Experience in survey administration and institutional research.
• Strong interpersonal, discretion, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee planning, design, administration and analysis of major internal surveys.
• Align survey activities with strategic priorities and planning cycles.
• Develop guidelines and best practices for ethical survey practices.
• Coordinate with the Research Ethics Board and Privacy Officer for compliance.
• Provide guidance on survey use and approvals for internal units.
• Lead analysis and translate findings into actionable insights; prepare reports.

Skills

Statistical analysis

SPSS

Survey methodology

Interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking

Discretion

Education

Master's degree in data analytics / statistics / education or similar

Tools

SurveyMonkey

Tableau

Job description

Reporting to the Director, Strategic Planning and Initiatives, the Institutional Survey Officer holds a high degree of responsibility and autonomy in overseeing survey services at the university. This includes internally developed and externally administered surveys, as well as the institutional use of purchased survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey). Working with a strong level of independence, the Officer manages the full survey lifecycle, from initial design and consultation to analysis, reporting, and strategic dissemination of results. The Officer serves as the primary point of contact for external survey partners and stakeholders and provides functional supervision to internal staff responsible for day-to-day survey coordination and support. They exercise sound judgment in managing relationships, coordinating timelines, and ensuring alignment with institutional priorities. The role also contributes to institutional data governance, collaborates on the development of survey-related policies, procedures, and guidelines, and ensures compliance with privacy legislation and ethical research standards.

Duties:

1. Institutional Survey Oversight

• Lead the planning, design, administration, and analysis of major internal institutional surveys, ensuring methodological rigor and meaningful insights.
• Ensure institutional survey activities are aligned with strategic priorities, academic planning cycles, and evolving information needs.
• Develop, implement, and promote institutional survey guidelines, standards, and best practices to support consistent and ethical survey practices across the university.
• Oversee coordination with key institutional stakeholders, including the Research Ethics Board and the Privacy Officer, to ensure survey activities comply with ethical and legislative requirements.
• Provide guidance to internal units on the appropriate use of surveys and act as a central resource for navigating survey-related protocols and approvals.
• Monitor emerging trends and developments in survey research to inform institutional practice and support continuous improvement.

External Survey Vendor and Platform Management

• Oversee institutional use of licensed survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey), ensuring effective governance, appropriate usage, and alignment with institutional data practices.
• Provide functional supervision to the Coordinator, Planning and Analytics, supporting activities related to platform license management, user access, permissions, usage monitoring, and vendor coordination.
• Manage the VIU’s participation in externally administered surveys (e.g., NSSE, CGPSS), including scheduling, data exchange, institutional coordination, and dissemination of results.
• Serve as the institutional liaison for survey consortia, benchmarking initiatives, and third-party survey vendors, fostering productive relationships and ensuring institutional interests are represented.
• Collaborate with the Director and the Office of the Provost to ensure survey data is meaningfully integrated into institutional planning, assessment, and decision-making processes.

Policy Development and Data Governance

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of institutional policies, procedures, and standards related to survey design, administration, data management, and protection, in collaboration with the Director.
• Ensure all survey activities comply with university privacy policies, ethical protocols, and applicable legislation, including data residency and consent requirements.
• Collaborate with key institutional partners (e.g., Enterprise Systems, Office of the Secretariat, Privacy Office) to support and advance strong data governance practices across the university.
• Provide guidance to campus stakeholders on responsible survey use and data handling, promoting a culture of ethical, secure, and informed decision-making.

Data Analysis, Reporting, and Dissemination

• Lead the analysis of institutional survey data and translate findings into meaningful, actionable insights tailored to diverse audiences.
• Prepare detailed reports, executive summaries, and briefings for stakeholders across the university, including senior leadership, academic units, and student services.
• Collaborate with the Research Analyst, Data Reporting and Analytics to conduct in-depth analyses, support interpretation, and design user-friendly dashboards and visualizations (e.g., Tableau) that enhance access to and understanding of survey results.
• Ensure high standards of data accuracy, clarity, and relevance in all reporting, enabling evidence-informed decision-making and institutional planning.

Required Qualifications:

Master's Degree (data analytics, statistics, educations or similar). Minimum three years related experience.

• Demonstrated knowledge of statistical analysis, statistical software such as SPSS (or equivalent), and comprehensive understanding of survey methodology, including survey software.
• Demonstrated experience in survey administration and institutional research.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, sound judgement and discretion, and analytical thinking and problem-solving.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with the post-secondary education system and experience in an institutional research office or similar experience in a public sector or health-related agency.
• Knowledge of Canadian privacy regulations and best practices in data protection and survey ethics.
• Completion of the TCPS 2:CORE-2022 Course on Research Ethics; will need to be completed within the first two weeks of starting the position.

VIU is pleased to offer eligible employees a comprehensive benefit plan; ample paid holiday time; professional development opportunities and a desirable pension plan. As part of the VIU campus community, our employees work with supportive colleagues within an encouraging environment and are provided with the tools and training that promote learning and development. The perks of VIU employment are multiple, and include well-being initiatives and services, strategic discounts, and flexible work opportunities.

Note:

• Short-listed candidates must provide original transcripts, or applicable original certifications at time of interview.
• All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
• Vancouver Island University (VIU) is collectively committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment for faculty, staff, and students. In our journey towards greater diversity, we invite applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all gender identities and sexual orientations who bring value to the VIU community through their lived experiences. We encourage members of all equity-seeking groups to self-identify within their application cover letter. When a candidate voluntarily discloses this information in their cover letter, the information will be used only for the fulfillment of the career opportunity. Disclosure and/or self-identification with an equity-seeking group will not lead to advantageous treatment of a candidate who is not qualified.

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