Director of Data Analytics and Operational Initiatives

Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, Northern (LA, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement options

Paid holidays

Tuition exemption

Employee discounts

Job summary

Louisiana State University seeks a Director of Data Analytics and Operational Initiatives to drive data-informed decisions and redesign centralized workflows across the College of Engineering. You will partner with the Dean's Office, translate requirements into technical specs, and lead change management with training for end users.

The role requires experience in process improvement, data visualization (Power BI, Tableau), and coordinating cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Data Analytics, Engineering or related field with 7 years of experience.
• Preferred: Master's degree with 9+ years of related experience and supervisory experience.
• Experience leading process improvement or operational initiatives with technical/development teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain data visualizations, dashboards, and executive reporting frameworks.
• Lead centralized, standardized workflows across operational and administrative functions.
• Partner with Dean's Office to assess processes and define priorities for improvement.
• Serve as liaison to coding/development team translating requirements into specs.
• Manage full lifecycle of operational improvement projects: plan, execute, monitor, mitigate risk.
• Maintain and improve workflows based on user feedback and evolving needs.
• Lead change management with training materials and sessions for adoption.
• Prepare and present progress reports and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Adaptability

Collaboration

Communication

Leadership

Policy Development

Project Management

Resource Management

Risk Mitigation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Job Description

• 25% Develop and maintain data visualizations, dashboards, and executive reporting frameworks that support data-driven decision-making by College leadership.
• 20% Lead the design and implementation of centralized, standardized workflows across operational and administrative functions (e.g., inventory management, procurement, HR processing, budget and financial operations) to drive alignment and efficiency College-wide.
• 10% Partner with the Dean's Office and unit leadership across the College to assess current operational and administrative processes, identify gaps, inefficiencies, and pain points, and define priority areas for improvement.
• 10% Serve as the primary liaison to the coding/development team, translating operational requirements into clear functional and technical specifications for new or updated electronic workflows, tracking systems, and databases.
• 10% Manage the full lifecycle of operational improvement projects — planning, execution, monitoring, risk identification and mitigation — ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and to quality standards.
• 10% Maintain, support, and iteratively improve previously implemented workflows and systems based on user feedback and evolving business needs, while continuously identifying and advancing the next operational priority.
• 10% Lead change management efforts for new processes and workflows, including developing training materials, documentation, and job aids, and designing and delivering training sessions/classes to drive successful adoption across the College.
• 5% Prepare and present regular progress reports, performance metrics, and recommendations to the Dean's Office and other key stakeholders.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minumum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Data Analytics, Engineering, or a related field with 7 years of related experience.
• Specific Experience: Demonstrated experience leading process improvement or operational initiatives, managing projects, and working with technical/development teams to implement data or workflow systems.
• LSU vales skills, experience, and expertise.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Data Analytics, Engineering, or a related field with 9+ years of related experience, including supervisory experience.
• Specific Experience: Experience in higher education administration; experience with data visualization/BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau); familiarity with process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma); experience defining specifications for software/workflow development; experience leading organizational change management and developing/delivering end-user training programs.

Preferred Certifications/Licenses

• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent certification

Additional Job Description

The Director of Data Analytics and Operational Initiatives serves as a strategic leader within the College of Engineering, driving operational excellence and data-informed decision-making across the College's administrative and business functions. This position partners with the Dean's Office and unit leadership to identify operational gaps, inefficiencies, and pain points, then leads the redesign of processes into streamlined, centralized, and standardized workflows.

A core function of this role is translating business and operational requirements into technical specifications, working directly with the coding/development team to build and deploy electronic workflows, tracking tools, and reporting systems that increase efficiency, accountability, and visibility across the College. This includes areas such as inventory management, procurement, HR and budget processing, facilities requests, and other administrative operations.

This position operates iteratively: once a workflow or system is implemented, the Director maintains and refines it based on user feedback and changing needs, while simultaneously identifying and prioritizing the next opportunity for centralization, alignment, and process improvement across the College's operations.

The Director also serves as the College's change management lead for these initiatives, guiding faculty and staff through the adoption of new processes and systems. This includes developing training materials, documentation, and job aids, and designing and delivering training sessions and classes to ensure end users are equipped to successfully transition to and sustain new workflows.

Questions regarding this position can be directed to Ami McGucken at [e-mail].

Skills Needed

• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Leadership
• Policy Development
• Project Management
• Resource Management
• Risk Mitigation

Preferred Skills

Posting Date: August 25, 2026 Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified): December 23, 2026 Additional Position Information: Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Benefits - LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more! Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement. Essential Position (Y/N): LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and maintain that valid work authorization throughout employment. Changes in laws, regulations, or government policies may impact the university’s ability to employ individuals in certain positions. HCM Contact Information: For questions or concerns related to updating your application with attachments (e.g., resumes, RS:17 documents), date of birth, or reactivating applications, please contact the LSU Human Resources Management Office at 225-578-8200 or email [e-mail]. For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact the department using the information provided in the Special Instructions section of this job posting. LSU includes institutions, facilities and programs in each of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and its campuses stretch the length of the state from New Orleans to Shreveport. Each institution plays a vital role in preparing students to incorporate new knowledge and technologies into their daily lives. LSU researchers across Louisiana are working on developing a wide-range of innovations to improve quality of life by studying issues such as disease management, advance medical treatments, obesity, coastal protection, hurricane preparedness, energy, natural resource management and agriculture, among others. Louisiana’s Flagship University is a land-, sea- and space-grant institution with academic programs in all areas of science, engineering, humanities, arts and social sciences. The University comprises of nine institutions: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College ("LSU"), the premier flagship university for the state, which include the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the School of Veterinary Medicine Louisiana State University at Alexandria Louisiana State University at Eunice Louisiana State University at Shreveport LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans LSU Health Science Center – Shreveport The Health Care Services Division Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Pennington Biomedical Research Center Any other college, university, school, institution, or program now or hereafter under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In implementing its mission, LSU is committed to: Offering a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students; Employing faculty who are excellent teacher-scholars, nationally competitive in research and creative activities, and who contribute to a world-class knowledge base that is transferable to educational, professional, cultural, and economic enterprises; and Using its extensive resources to solve economic, environmental, and social challenges.