Chief Data and Research Officer

Community College of Rhode Island; Warwick (RI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

The Community College of Rhode Island seeks a chief data and research officer to provide strategic leadership for institutional data strategy and analytics. You will oversee data governance, integrate analytics across divisions, and support statewide strategic goals with data-informed insights.

You will align systems with plans, promote data-driven decisions, ensure privacy compliance, and guide dashboards and reports that inform planning, accreditation, and workforce outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public policy, education, sociology, economics, statistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in data systems, institutional research, or analytics.
• Experience managing integrated or longitudinal datasets and cross-sector research.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, privacy regulations, and compliance frameworks.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (R, Power BI, Tableau, AWS).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and lead centralized data and research services, align data efforts with college goals.
• Oversee data infrastructure governance, security, and data sharing agreements.
• Lead cross-institutional research initiatives using linked education and workforce data.
• Develop dashboards and reports to support planning, accreditation, and performance.
• Promote advanced analytics and best practices in data visualization and methods.
• Manage staffing, budgets, and procurement for data and research teams.
• Engage with departments, state agencies, and external partners to communicate insights.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Data governance

Analytics coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in public policy, education, sociology, economics, statistics, or related field

Tools

R

Power BI

Tableau

AWS

Job description

The Community College of Rhode Island seeks to hire a chief data and research officer who will provide strategic leadership for institutional data strategy and infrastructure, advanced analytics, and institutional research.

This role is responsible for overseeing data infrastructure governance and coordinating analytics across the college and functional-areas to enhance research capacity, reduce duplication, and support college and statewide strategic goals through integrated, cross-sector, and department data insights.

The chief data and research officer will lead efforts to align data systems with college and division, department, and statewide strategic plans, promote data-informed decision-making, and ensure compliance with privacy and security standards

Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Integration: Coordinate and lead centralized data and research services, develop and execute strategic plans that align data efforts with college and statewide goals in equity, workforce alignment, and student success. Serve as a key advisor to the Executive Vice President and institutional leadership on data strategy, analytics, and research priorities.

• Data Infrastructure & Governance: In collaboration with CIO, oversee the development and maintenance of shared data warehousing infrastructure, ensuring security, scalability, and efficiency. In partnership with institutional stakeholders, the CIO, and committees lead data governance efforts, ensuring compliance with FERPA, HIPAA, and other privacy regulations. Manage data-sharing agreements, metadata standards, and protocols for data access, transfer, and release.

• Research & Analytics Coordination: Lead and coordinate research efforts across the college ensuring that institutional research is strategically aligned with college and statewide goals and supported by shared infrastructure, tools, and expertise. Supervise cross-institutional research initiatives that leverage linked K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data to generate insights into student pathways and workforce outcomes. Guide the development of dashboards, reports, and analyses that support institutional planning, accreditation, and performance improvement. Promote the use of advanced analytics tools (e.g., R, AWS, Power BI, Tableau) and best practices in data visualization, methodology, and longitudinal analysis

• Operational Management: Coordinate staffing, budgeting, and resource allocation across institutional research teams. Facilitate shared software licensing and procurement to reduce costs and improve access to analytic tools. Oversee project timelines, deliverables, and quality assurance across all data and research functions.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Cultivate partnerships with college departments, state agencies, research institutions, and community organizations. Represent CCRI at local, regional, and national convenings. Communicate complex data insights to diverse audiences, including policymakers, institutional leaders, and the public.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public policy, education, sociology, economics, statistics, or a related field.

• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in data systems, institutional research, or analytics.

• Demonstrated experience managing integrated or longitudinal datasets and leading cross-sector research initiatives.

• Strong understanding of data governance, privacy regulations, and compliance frameworks.

• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., R, Power BI, Tableau, AWS).

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Qualification:

• Familiarity with RI’s education and workforce policy landscape.

• Experience in higher education institutional research and accreditation processes.

• Evidence of successful grant writing, fundraising, or business development.

• Understanding of IT systems and infrastructure

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable tosponsoror take over sponsorship of any employmentvisa including student visas.