Assoc Dir of Institutional Research

University of Minnesota; Rochester (MN); On-site; USD 98,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages and benefits

Tuition benefit program

Paid holidays and generous time off

Student-focused mission

Job summary

The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) is seeking an Associate Director of Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis to provide strategic analytics and operational leadership. You will oversee complex analyses, predictive modeling, and external reporting while guiding data-driven decisions across campus.

Responsibilities include managing data extraction, governance, dashboards, and cross-team collaborations with a strong emphasis on equity and student success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Social Sciences, or a highly quantitative plus at least six years of relevant institutional research experience in higher education
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in data analysis, institutional research, or business intelligence within a higher education setting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth, complex statistical analyses and diagnostic analytics to support leadership decision-making, institutional planning, and strategic priorities.
• Analyze student progression and success outcomes to identify opportunities to improve retention, persistence, and degree completion while closing equity gaps among student groups
• Build, maintain, and refine advanced predictive models to drive early interventions and boost student retention and graduation outcomes.
• Design, develop, and implement KPI dashboards and performance metrics to track progress toward institutional and unit strategic goals
• Manage a comprehensive project schedule to ensure all recurring, ad hoc, and sudden data requests are executed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule
• Ensure and document standardized business processes, data dictionaries, and workflows to ensure business continuity and analyst cross-training
• Represent UMR on system-wide committees, campus task forces, and workgroups; serve as institutional liaison to system colleagues
• Manage and submit mandatory institutional data to federal, state, and accreditation bodies, ensuring compliance with data governance policies and FERPA
• Act as the primary campus contact for external organizations and publishers to accurately submit institutional data profiles
• Lead the compiling, verification, and publication of annual reporting resources (Common Data Set, Campus Data Book, All Student Profile)
• Oversee the administration and downstream analysis of NSSE and SSI surveys
• Design, write, and optimize complex SQL queries to extract multi-dimensional datasets from the University Data Warehouse and related systems
• Clean, blend, and restructure large datasets using SQL, R, SPSS, Python, or Excel
• Design, publish, and maintain interactive BI dashboards utilizing Tableau/Power BI

Skills

Advanced analytics

SQL

R/Python/SPSS

Tableau/Power BI

FERPA/data governance

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Social Sciences

Tools

PeopleSoft

Slate

Canvas

OBIEE

SQL Developer

Excel

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

About the Job

The Associate Director of Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis provides operational leadership, strategic oversight, and advanced analytical expertise to support the University's values, mission, and objectives in decision making. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Associate Director manages the project schedules, coordinates cross-functional campus collaborations, and reports on the progress toward strategic initiatives.

Location and Work environment

This is an in-person position on the UMR campus with limited flexibility for remote work upon approval by the supervisor.

Work Schedule

Full time, 40 hours per week, 12 months per year. Monday through Friday, typical daytime hours. Some evenings and weekends are required to meet the needs of the students. Occasional on and off-campus travel required.

Expected Contributions

This role acts as a primary bridge between raw institutional data and executive decision-making, overseeing key deliverables-including complex internal data analyses, predictive modeling, external compliance reporting, and ad hoc data requests.

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

Primary Responsibilities

• Institutional Assessment and Advanced Analytics (40%)
  • Conduct in-depth, complex statistical analyses and diagnostic analytics to support leadership decision-making, institutional planning, and strategic priorities.
  • Analyze student progression and success outcomes to identify opportunities to improve retention, persistence, and degree completion while closing equity gaps among student groups
  • Build, maintain, and refine advanced predictive models to drive early interventions and boost student retention and graduation outcomes.Design, develop, and implement KPI dashboards and performance metrics to track progress toward institutional and unit strategic goals
• Project Management & Operations (25%)
  • Manage a comprehensive project schedule to ensure all recurring, ad hoc, and sudden data requests are executed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule.
  • Ensure and document standardized business processes, data dictionaries, and workflows to ensure business continuity and analyst cross-training.
  • Represent UMR on the appropriate system-wide committees, campus task forces, and workgroups; serve as an institutional liaison to system colleagues.
• External Compliance Reporting & Survey Administration (20%)
  • Manage and submit mandatory institutional data to federal, state, and accreditation bodies, ensuring absolute compliance with data governance policies and FERPA.
  • Act as the primary campus contact for external organizations and publishers (e.g., U.S. News & World Report, College Board, Peterson's, ACT, Wintergreen Orchard House) to accurately submit institutional data profiles.
  • Lead the compiling, verification, and publication of annual reporting resources, including the Common Data Set, Campus Data Book, and the All Student Profile.
  • Oversee the administration and downstream analysis of major campus-wide surveys, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI).
• Data Extraction, Engineering & Business Intelligence (15%)
  • Design, write, and optimize complex SQL queries to extract multi-dimensional datasets from the University Data Warehouse, PeopleSoft, Slate, Canvas, and related transactional systems.
  • Clean, blend, and restructure large, unstructured, or disparate datasets using tools like SQL Developer, R, SPSS, Python, or Excel.
  • Design, publish, and maintain interactive business intelligence dashboards utilizing Tableau to democratize data access and display complex dimensional metrics clearly.
  • Translate complex statistical findings and research methodologies into clear, accessible, and actionable narrative briefs or presentations for non-technical stakeholders across the campus.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Social Sciences, or a highly quantitative plus at least six years of relevant institutional research experience in higher education
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in data analysis, institutional research, or business intelligence within a higher education setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant institutional research experience in higher education, with at least 2 years of direct supervisory or team lead experience.
• Experience working directly with enterprise higher education platforms, including PeopleSoft, Slate, Canvas, and OBIEE.
• Advanced technical skills, including but not limited to:
• Advanced SQL writing capabilities and experience with relational database extraction.
• Proficiency in statistical programming languages (e.g., R, SPSS, Python, or STATA).
• Demonstrated expertise in data visualization tools (specifically Tableau or Power BI).
• Strong working knowledge of data governance, data privacy policies (FERPA), and federal/state higher education reporting standards.
• Proven track record of developing functional predictive models, and complex data-mining protocols.
• Demonstrated ability to consult with senior campus executives, influence strategic policy changes through data insights, and foster collaborative environments that advance equity, diversity, and social justice.
• Encountered situations are highly varied, complex, and frequently non-recurring. There are rarely pre-established routines for advanced analyses (such as equity gap or retention studies). The Associate Director must apply creative analytical methodologies, identify confounding variables, and design unique visual solutions to make complex data sets interpretable.
• Operates with a high degree of independence under broad guidance from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Innovation.

About the Department

The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR), located in downtown Rochester, serves nearly 1,200 students and recently welcomed its largest class ever. Faculty and staff are dedicated to innovative education, student development and applying research to enhance learning every day. With a strong focus on health sciences and student-centered learning, UMR partners closely with Mayo Clinic and emphasizes research-driven teaching to meet the evolving demands of the health care industry.

UMR's Vision is to inspire transformation in higher education through innovations that empower our graduates to solve the grand health challenges of the 21st century. The campus facilities are adjacent to the world-class Mayo Clinic and other industry leaders in the life sciences in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester is the fastest growing city in Minnesota, currently experiencing exponential growth with facilities expansion and the University's continued growth.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $98,000 to $115,000 annually; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR)

At the University of Minnesota Rochester, our vision is to transform higher education through innovations that empower graduates to solve the grand health challenges of the twenty-first century. UMR prepares students for a broad spectrum of career pathways including pre-med and patient care; psychology and mental health; business and leadership; health technology; public policy and global health; and research, discovery, and cures.

The campus community serves almost 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the heart of downtown Rochester and continues to grow in size and influence through creative partnerships. At UMR, relationships and research drive student success. Learn more about UMR.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.