Director of Institutional Research and Analytics

Aurora University; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora University seeks a Director of Institutional Research and Analytics to lead institutional research, reporting, and analytics within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support.

The role reports to the Chief Data Officer and Associate Vice President, translating priorities into a research work plan, supervising staff, and guiding analyses that support student success and institutional improvement. Strong SQL and analytics tool experience required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a field with substantial preparation in research methods, statistics, analytics, or a related discipline required.
• Doctoral degree in a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage institutional research and reporting operations. Develop and maintain annual analytics and reporting calendar; anticipate information needs; prioritize research; organize work within approved priorities.
• Supervise and develop assigned professional staff. Set expectations, coordinate workloads, review performance, and support staff development.
• Oversee preparation and submission of external reports (IPEDS, CDS, NC AAreporting). Maintain documentation and coordinate reviews.
• Monitor changes in reporting requirements and define implications for research processes; communicate issues to leadership.
• Conduct and oversee research on enrollment, outcomes, and program performance; identify barriers and opportunities for improvement.
• Establish quality assurance for statistics, analyses, and reports; reconcile discrepancies and document decisions.
• Develop dashboards and reports aligned with university priorities; interpret progress and identify questions needing investigation.
• Coordinate reporting and analytics with technical development; ensure reliable data delivery and workflows.
• Apply data governance, privacy, and security standards; reference enterprise policies as needed.
• Provide research and data documentation for accreditation and program review; collaborate with campus colleagues.

Skills

IR leadership

Staff supervision

IPEDS reporting

Quantitative methods

SQL

R/Python/SAS/SPSS

Data warehousing

Analytics tools

Excel advanced

Communication skills

Project management

Data governance

Data visualization

Education

Master’s degree in research methods, statistics, analytics

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

Position Purpose:

The Director of Institutional Research and Analytics directs theinstitutional research, reporting, and analytics functions withinthe Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support. TheDirector ensures that institutional data are accurate, consistent,timely, and useful for compliance, accreditation, planning,evaluation, and university decision-making. Reporting to the Chief Data Officer and Associate Vice Presidentfor Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support, the Directortranslates institutional priorities into an achievable research andreporting work plan, supervises assigned professional staff, andconducts and reviews analyses that support student success andinstitutional improvement. The position combines staff leadershipwith hands-on research, reporting, and consultation with campuspartners. The Director exercises independent professional judgmentin selecting research methods, managing assignments, andresolvingroutine analytical and reporting issues within approved prioritiesand institutional standards. The Chief Data Officer and Associate Vice President leadsenterprise data strategy, governance, and institutional datapolicy. The Director implements those standards within research andreporting, coordinates analytical and technical priorities, andworks with the Manager of Data Integration and Optimization, wholeads technical development and integration in partnership withInformation Technology Services.

Core Competencies:

1. Represents Aurora University in the most positive manner withprospective, former and current students, clients, suppliers andthe community we serve. Interacts effectively with a diverse groupof faculty, staff, students and other customers of our service,learns and uses operating practices of the department and AuroraUniversity.
2. Upholds the Mission Statement: Aurora University is aninclusive community dedicated to the transformative power oflearning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourageundergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes tobuild meaningful and examined lives. Our singular goal is toempower our students to achieve lasting personal and professionalsuccess.
3. Handles all information with tact and discretion and recognizesthe confidential nature of university business.
4. Supports learning through performance of essential jobfunctions and performing other duties and functions as necessary oras assigned, including voluntary participation in universitycommittees, activities and events.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Manage institutional research and reporting operations. Developand maintain the annual analytics and reporting calendar;anticipate emerging information needs; recommend researchpriorities; and organize recurring and ad hoc work withinpriorities approved by the Chief Data Officer and Associate VicePresident. Establish project milestones, manage assignments, andescalate resource constraints and competing institutionaldemands.
2. Supervise and develop assigned professional staff. Establishclear expectations, coordinate workloads, review performance,support professional development, and maintain cross-training andcontinuity for critical functions.
3. Oversee the preparation, validation, and timely submission ofassigned federal, state, accreditor, association, and otherexternal reports, including IPEDS, the Common Data Set, and NCAAreporting. Coordinate institutional reviews and approvals andmaintain supporting documentation.
4. Monitor changes in reporting requirements and definitions withstaff and campus partners. Assess their effects on institutionalresearch processes, implement necessary updates, and communicatesignificant issues to the Chief Data Officer and Associate VicePresident.
5. Conduct and oversee research on enrollment, retention,persistence, completion, student outcomes, financial aid, academicprograms, workforce data, and other approved priorities. Examinedifferences across relevant student populations, programs, andinstructional modalities to identify barriers to success andopportunities for improvement. Select appropriate methods andcommunicate findings, limitations, and implications foraction.
6. Establish and apply quality assurance procedures for officialstatistics, analyses, and reports. Review cohort definitions,calculations, research methods, and interpretations; reconcilediscrepancies with data owners; and document decisions andcorrections.
7. Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, institutionalprofiles, benchmarks, and key performance indicators with staff andcampus partners. Endure measures are clearly defined and alignedwith AUnity strategic priorities, including student outcomes,program performance, operational effectiveness, and resourceplanning. Interpret progress and identify questions requiringfurther investigation.
8. Coordinate reporting and analytics requirements with technicaldevelopment. Define analytical requirements, prioritizeenhancements within approved work plans, establish criteria forvalidating results, and review analytical outputs. Partner with theData Integration Manager, ITS, and consultants on reliable datadelivery, automation, and reporting workflows.
9. Apply institutional data governance, privacy, security, andaccess standards within research and reporting. Maintain documenteddefinitions, query logic, report specifications, validationprocedures, and version history. Refer enterprise policy decisionsto the Chief Data Officer.
10. Provide research, analyses, and data documentation foraccreditation, program review, assessment, strategic planning, andthe Annual Institutional Effectiveness Report. Partner with campuscolleagues to define outcomes, establish baselines and appropriatecomparisons, and evaluate institutional initiatives to informprogram and service improvements. Collaborate with theInstitutional Effectiveness and Decision Support Analyst andCoordinator on assigned projects.
11. Consult with campus partners to clarify information needs,define research questions, interpret, and apply resultsresponsibly. Prepare accessible reports, presentations, andexecutive summaries, and provide guidance and training oninstitutional data and measures.
12. Improve the efficiency and reproducibility of research andreporting through documented procedures and appropriate use ofapproved analytical technologies. Evaluate approved AI-assistedtools where useful, validate their outputs, and followinstitutional privacy and security standards. Perform other relatedduties as assigned.

Essential Job Requirements:

Education:

• Master’s degree in a field with substantial preparation inresearch methods, statistics, analytics, or a related disciplinerequired. Doctoral degree in a related field preferred.

Skills:

• At least five years of progressively responsible experience ininstitutional research, higher education analytics, institutionalreporting, or a closely related field, including directresponsibility for higher education reporting.
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff orleading substantial collaborative projects, with the ability to setexpectations, coordinate assignments, provide feedback, and supportstaff development.
• Experience preparing, validating, and coordinating externalhigher education reports, including IPEDS, and applying reportingdefinitions and requirements accurately.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative research methods, statisticalanalysis, institutional benchmarking, data quality assurance, andresponsible interpretation of results.
• Proficiency in SQL and experience with analytical tools orlanguages such as R, Python, SAS, or SPSS; ability to reviewqueries, analytical logic, and reproducible reportingprocesses.
• Experience with enterprise data systems, relational datastructures, data warehouses, and dashboard or visualization tools;ability to translate information needs into analytical andtechnical specifications.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills,including the ability to explain complex findings and limitationsto nontechnical audiences.
• Strong project management, organizational, and documentationskills; sound judgment in managing deadlines, competing priorities,and sensitive information.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and workingproficiency with Word and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising and developing professional research ortechnical staff.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague, Colleague Insights, EABEdify, or comparable platforms.
• Experience supporting accreditation, program review, studentsuccess research, survey analysis, or evaluation of institutionalinitiatives.

Special Requirements:

• Completes required human subjects research, FERPA, and dataprivacy training.
• Maintains current knowledge of institutional research practicesand applicable reporting requirements.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work at a computer station for long periods oftime.
• Ability to communicate and interact via electronic mail andtelephone.