Executive Search for AVP IERA Assistant Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, Research &

Swarthmore College; Swarthmore (Delaware County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Swarthmore College is seeking an Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Assessment (AVP IERA) to lead institutional research, assessment, and data governance in support of academic excellence and strategic planning.

The AVP IERA will translate complex data into actionable insights, guide federal reporting and accreditation efforts, and partner with campus leaders to strengthen the College's information ecosystem and decision-making capabilities.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in institutional research, effectiveness, or analytics.
• Ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for planning and decision-making.
• Collaborative leadership across a wide range of stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead institutional research, assessment, accreditation, data governance, and reporting.
• Translate complex information into actionable insights for planning and resource allocation.
• Guide analytics evolution and coordinate distributed data functions.
• Serve as trusted advisor to the President, Cabinet, faculty, and staff.

Skills

Institutional research

Data governance

Analytics

Strategic leadership

Federal reporting

Tools

Workday

Job description

Assistant Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, Research& Assessment (AVP IERA)

Swarthmore College, one of the nation's leading liberal arts institutions, seeks a strategic, collaborative, and intellectually curious institutional research leader to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Assessment (AVP IERA). This individual in this role will balance innovation with stewardship, technical sophistication with relationship-building, and long-term vision with practical execution.

Swarthmore was founded in 1864 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) as one of the earliest coeducational institutions in the country. Located on a 425-acre arboretum campus just outside Philadelphia, the College enrolls approximately 1,700 students and offers more than 50 academic programs across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and interdisciplinary fields. Supported by more than 800 staff members and 262 full-time faculty (184 are full-time tenured and tenure-track), Swarthmore combines the personalized educational experience of a residential liberal arts college with the resources, talent, and capacity to advance its mission at the highest levels. Its culture continues to be shaped by Quaker values, including collaboration, ethical leadership, respect for individuals, and a commitment to advancing knowledge in service of the common good.

The next AVP IERA will join Swarthmore at a pivotal period oftransition: The College expects to announce its next president byearly 2027, and it is in the process of implementing Workday forHuman Resource, Finance, and Student operations, and will beevaluating the future of the platform's data, reporting, andanalytics environment on an ongoing basis. Together, thesetransitional moments offer the incoming AVP IERA an exceptionalopportunity to help shape institutional priorities and strengthenthe College's capacity for strategic planning and decision-making.At the same time, Swarthmore continues to advance important goalsrelated to student success, enrollment, financial sustainability,philanthropy, assessment, accreditation, and long-range planning.The AVP IERA will play a critical role in helping the Collegestrengthen its information ecosystem, leverage emergingtechnologies, and further embed evidence-informed decision-makingacross the institution.

The AVP IERA leads a team of two directors, serves as a member ofthe President's Cabinet, and provides strategic leadership forinstitutional research, assessment, accreditation, data governance,federal reporting, and decision support. Working closely withacademic and administrative leaders, the AVP IERA will translatecomplex information into actionable insights, support institutionalplanning and resource allocation, and ensure the College has theanalytical capacity necessary to achieve its strategic goals.

The next AVP IERA will guide the evolution of Swarthmore'sanalytics and reporting environment, strengthen coordination amongdistributed data and analytics functions, advance data governanceefforts, and help shape the College's approach to AI and otheremerging technologies. They will also oversee institutionaleffectiveness initiatives, assessment activities, accreditationplanning and compliance efforts, and federal reporting requirementswhile helping position the College for its next comprehensive NECHEaccreditation review in 2036.

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience ininstitutional research, institutional effectiveness, assessment,analytics, or a related field; a demonstrated ability to supportcomplex organizational decision-making; and a collaborativeleadership style that inspires trust across a wide range ofconstituencies. As a trusted advisor to the President, Cabinet,Board, faculty, and staff, the AVP IERA will help ensure that data,assessment, and evidence-informed planning continue to supportSwarthmore's pursuit of academic excellence and institutionalsuccess.

Swarthmore College has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist withthis important recruitment.

Dan Rodas is leading this search with Amble Ryan, Steph Simon, and Katanya Cathcart .

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respectand inclusion so that every member of our community feels a senseof belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverseperspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and ademonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world.

Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does notdiscriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected bylaw or College Policy.