Director of Institutional Research

Socket.dev; Lafayette (LA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev seeks a Director of Institutional Research to lead data-driven strategy for campus executives. This role translates complex institutional data into actionable insights, guiding growth, effectiveness, and student success through collaborative governance and proactive analytics.

You will steer cross-institutional alignment, oversee dashboards and fact books, and champion data literacy across faculty and staff.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as informatics, statistical analysis, research methodology, social sciences, or related field.
• Three to five years of experience in a university setting using institutional data for program improvement, faculty effectiveness, and student success.
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets, coordinating multiple projects and reporting requirements.
• Experience collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting institutional data.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, understandable information and provide actionable analysis to university stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build trust-based, collaborative relationships across academic and administrative units to identify data needs and deliver insights.
• Partner with IR offices across the UL System to benchmark practices and harmonize data definitions.
• Translate data into clear, actionable reports and dashboards for executive leadership and campus stakeholders.
• Cultivate a service-minded culture within the Office of IR and position the team as a go-to partner.
• Chair governance groups and promote data stewardship and collaborative decision-making.
• Shift IR from historical reporting to forward-looking predictive analytics and scenario planning.

Skills

Strategic Partnership

Data storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant field

Doctoral degree in a relevant field

Tools

Tableau

Qualtrics

Ellucian Insight

Job description

Position Title: Director of Institutional Research

Department: 2030|Institutional Research

The Director of Institutional Research serves as a visionary, service-minded intelligence leader and trusted advisor to campus executives. The Director leads the transformation of institutional data into actionable, forward-looking insights that drive strategic growth, institutional effectiveness, as program, faculty, and student success. Grounded in a culture of collaborative service and relationship-building, this role bridges business intelligence with institutional strategy, fostering strong cross-functional partnerships, championing proactive decision-making, and navigating the evolving higher education landscape.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Visionary Leadership & Relationship Building

• Strategic Partnership: Build trust-based, collaborative relationships across academic and administrative units, deans, and campus leaders to proactively identify data needs and deliver consultative insights.
• Cross-Institutional Alignment: Partner actively with IR offices across the UL System and external networks to benchmark innovative practices, harmonize data definitions, and champion collaborative higher education research.
• Strategic Data Translation & Storytelling: Guide the synthesis, analysis, and compelling presentation of complex data into clear, actionable resources, reports, and high-impact special projects for executive leadership and campus stakeholders—translating raw metrics into meaningful strategic narratives.
• Service-Minded Culture: Cultivate a customer-centric, accessible, and supportive environment within the Office of IR, positioning the team as a go-to partner for strategic problem-solving.
• Coalition & Governance Leadership: Chair and guide key governance groups, including the Data Governance Committee, Data Standards Committee, and work with data visualization experts to inspire shared data stewardship and collaborative decision-making. Serve as a member of the Data Governance Committee, as well as represent the Office of IR in meetings or committees for institutional reporting and data needs.

Strategic Intelligence & Forward-Thinking Analytics

• Predictive & Proactive Insights: Shift institutional research from historical reporting to forward-thinking predictive modeling, trend forecasting, and scenario planning to anticipate institutional opportunities and risks.
• Modern Business Intelligence: Drive the expansion of modern data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) and interactive dashboards to empower campus stakeholders with self-service analytics and KPI tracking.
• Digital Presence & Data Transparency: Oversee the IR website to ensure it serves as a dynamic, user-friendly hub for institutional intelligence; curate public-facing dashboards, fact books, accountability metrics, and strategic plan tracking; and maintain accessible resources that promote campus-wide data literacy.
• Environmental Scanning: Synthesize higher education trends, demographic shifts, and regional benchmarks to inform long-range strategic planning and enrollment strategies.
• Data Enablement & Campus Literacy: Design and lead campus-wide training programs, workshops, and user-friendly resources that empower faculty, staff, and leadership to effectively navigate analytics platforms (e.g., Tableau, Qualtrics, Ellucian Insight), interpret data accurately, and build confidence in data-informed decision-making.

Data Strategy, Governance & Ecosystem Modernization

• Ethical Data Stewardship & Integrity: Collaborate with the Enterprise Data Governance Planning Committee to establish modern data standards, ethical AI/data usage policies, and robust security controls. Ensure appropriate, ethical, and compliant use of data on behalf of the university. Embed the standard of ethical practice as defined by AIR. (https://www.airweb.org/resources/publications/statement-of-ethical-principles/principles)
• Data Infrastructure Elevation: Guide the continuous optimization of data pipelines, operational data storage systems, and analytics platforms to ensure seamless data delivery, both internally and with system partners.
• Strategic Survey Administration & Governance: Oversee the campus-wide scheduling, design, and administration of institutional surveys using enterprise tools (Qualtrics); enforce policy compliance, survey fatigue mitigation, and best practices; and govern the appropriate use of institutional distribution lists to safeguard data integrity and student/employee privacy.
• Mandatory & Regulatory Excellence: Direct accurate and timely compliance reporting (Board of Regents, NCES/IPEDS, U.S. News, external rankings) and serve as the primary liaison for System-level shared resources. Coordinate campus data validation, subject-matter expertise, approvals and institutional context to ensure accurate and timely submissions.

Team Development & Operational Stewardship

• Professional Thought Leadership & Horizon Scanning: Actively engage with regional and national professional associations (e.g., AIR, SAIR, LAIR) through conference attendance, network participation, and scholarly research to track emerging higher education trends, modern analytics methodologies, and advanced IR technologies—ensuring the university remains at the forefront of data-informed leadership.
• Project Management & Tracking: Prioritize and manage data requests through clear intake criteria; track and communicate project milestones transparently to stakeholders; and foster a culture of continuous operational improvement.
• Talent Empowerment: Mentor and develop a modern, growth-oriented IR team, fostering a supportive, innovative, and continuous-learning workplace culture.
• Resource Management: Strategically deploy financial and technological resources to maximize the impact of the IR office on campus priorities.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as informatics, statistical analysis, research methodology, social sciences, or a related field.
• Three to five years of experience working in a university setting and using institutional data to support program improvement, faculty effectiveness, and student success.
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets, coordinating multiple projects and reporting requirements, and effectively managing competing priorities and deadlines across university units.
• Experience collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting institutional data.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, understandable information and provide actionable analysis to university stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field, such as informatics, statistical analysis, research methodology, social sciences, or a related field.
• Experience with data analysis and reporting tools within higher education.

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