Research Analyst

College of Lake County; United States; On-site; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition assistance

Retirement plans

Flexible spending accounts

Paid holidays

Generous vacation and personal leave

Job summary

College of Lake County is seeking a Research Analyst to support the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research. You will compile, analyze, and report data and provide consultative support on study design and data interpretation.

Responsibilities include developing reports and data visualizations (Power BI), coordinating surveys, and assisting with program evaluation, as well as state/federal reporting and continuous improvement efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with emphasis in statistics, psychology, economics, education, social sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum five (5) years’ career experience performing educational, social, or market research analytics.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Familiarity with state and federal economic, population, and educational data sources.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work autonomously and collaboratively.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Power BI, Word, and SPSS.
• Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially in compliance with laws and policies.

Responsibilities

• Compiling, analyzing, and reporting on data; handling ad-hoc data requests and standard projects.
• Analyzing data using Excel, SPSS, and data warehouse tools; managing large datasets.
• Providing consultative and technical support on study design, statistical tools, and interpretation of findings.
• Assisting with design, administration, and analysis of surveys and focus groups; program evaluation activities.
• Writing reports and preparing visual presentations to communicate findings; including data visualizations (Power BI).
• Contributing to department review processes and institutional initiatives; ensuring data quality and validation.
• Maintaining data tools and software; preparing SQL syntax for custom user tables; SharePoint site management.
• Supporting state and federal reporting and compliance-related activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Autonomy & collaboration

Organization

Attention to detail

Quantitative/qualitative methods

Data sources familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in statistics or related field

Master’s degree (desired)

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Word

SPSS

Job description

Why choose the College of Lake County for your next opportunity? The College of Lake County (CLC) offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits that includes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois health, Delta Dental and Superior Vision insurance plans, tuition support for employees and qualified family members, three retirement plans, disability, group and supplemental life insurance, health and dependent care flexible spending account plans, a compressed work week in the summer (Closed Fridays!), generous vacation, sick and personal time off and 14 paid holidays each year. Some benefits will not be available for Part-Time or Part Time Staff Under 20 Hours (ex: health insurance).

Position Title: Research Analyst Job Summary: The Research Analyst position supports all key functions of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research in fulfillment of its departmental mission to uphold the college’s culture of inquiry and evidence-based decision-making and partnerwith all areas of the college to identify strategic opportunities and advance efforts toward achieving institutional excellence. Key departmental functions include: Assessment & Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, Compliance, Institutional Research, Planning, and Office Administration. The Research Analyst primarily supports these key functions by compiling, analyzing, and reporting on data as well as by providing consultative and technical support to college stakeholders on the design of research studies and the interpretation and use of data. The work of the Research Analyst helps to inform college planning and decision-making, assess the effectiveness of college initiatives, and fulfill reporting requirements of state and federal agencies and the regional accrediting body.

Job Description

• Project and Process Management (55%)
  • 1) Compiling, analyzing, and reporting on data. Ad-hoc data requests and standard projects from design to reporting.
  • 2) Analyzing data using Excel, SPSS, and the college’s data warehouse in relation to qualitative and quantitative research activities. Manage large datasets.
  • 3) Providing consultative and technical support to college stakeholders (i.e., individuals, committees, project teams) on the design of research studies, statistical tools, analytical methods and software, and the interpretation of research findings.
  • 4) Assisting with the design, administration, and analysis of survey and focus group research, course evaluations, and program evaluation activities.
  • 5) Writing reports and preparing presentations for various audiences to facilitate the communication of research findings to college stakeholders. Designing and preparing visually appealing and informative statistical tables, charts, graphs, and other illustrations. Data visualizations (Power BI)
• Continuous Improvement (25%)
  • 1) Assisting with data and research components of the department review processes and other institutional initiatives.
  • 2) Conducting data validation and quality assurance activities. Verifying the quality and accuracy of data and reports prepared by other members of the IEPR team.
  • 3) Active participation on committees and project teams.
  • 4) Assisting in the development and documentation of research and data methodologies and processes.
• Technological Support (15%)
  • 1) Helping to maintain data tools and software.
  • 2) Prepare SQL syntax for custom user tables needed for data visualization or reporting.
  • 3) SharePoint site management.
• Institutional Reporting (3%)
  • 1) Assisting in the preparation and checking of data for state and federal reports, regional accreditation requirements, and other compliance-related activities.
• Other (2%)
  • 1) Perform other related duties as assigned.

Hiring Rate: $65,400/year. The salary is competitive for this role and not subject to negotiation.

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full time Total Hours Per Week: 40 Position Type: Staff Job Family: Specialist Posting Date: 09/04/2026 Expected Start Date: 10/26/2026 Compensation Grade: C41 Location: Grayslake Campus Department: Institutional Effectiveness, Planning & Resources Department

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with emphasis in statistics, psychology, economics, education, social sciences, or a related field
• Minimum five (5) years’ career experience performing educational, social, or market research analytics.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Familiarity with state and federal economic, population, and educational data sources
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize work and handle multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to competing and shifting priorities.
• Meticulous attention to detail, commitment to analytical rigor and intellectual honesty
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel, Power Bi, and Word; and SPSS
• Ability to maintain discretion in sharing sensitive or confidential information in compliance with federal law, college policy, and departmental directives
• Ability to perform this work in an office environment, with or without reasonable accommodations
• Proven ability to work effectively and constructively with persons of diverse cultures, language groups, and abilities; demonstrate sensitivity to and ability to work with the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Desired qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field from accredited institution
• Familiarity with a variety of databases, especially Workday (or other student information systems), credit reporting agency data, and other industry data sources.
• Experience using mapping software (e.g. Arc GIS), as well as other data visualization software
• Experience presenting complex findings in a compelling and entertaining way to lay and technical audiences
• Experience using survey tools such as SurveyMonkey, or Qualtrics
• Experience writing and conducting data queries
• Engagement in professional, scholarly associations
• Bilingual Spanish and English

College of Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a policy of non-discrimination. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, age, sex, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, parental status, pregnancy or any other status protected by law.

College of Lake County (CLC) is a comprehensive community college located in northeastern Illinois committed to being an innovative educational institution providing life-changing paths for our students by offering exceptional learning experiences. CLC aspires to be a place where every student succeeds, every employee thrives, so that every business achieves and every community grows. Our mission is to be innovative and value-driven in supporting student success through developing and encouraging employees of all backgrounds on their journey toward achieving personal and professional growth. CLC achieved a milestone in 2025 with its designation as a Leader College of Distinction. CLC is part of the Achieving the Dream (ATD) Network, made up of 300+ colleges committed to supporting student success at their institutions and promoting economic vitality throughout their communities. CLC has been a member of the ATD Network since 2019 and has held Leader College status since 2023.