Senior Analyst for Program Effectiveness, University Communications

University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Health benefits

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

The University of Virginia is seeking a Senior Analyst to support data-informed decision-making in University Communications. This role involves analyzing marketing metrics, managing research programs, and translating insights into actionable strategies. Located in Charlottesville, VA, the position offers a hybrid work schedule.

Candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in a related field, along with strong communication and leadership skills. The salary range is $85,000 to $100,000, depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience in marketing research or data analytics.
• Ability to translate research data into actionable insights.
• Experience managing research programs.

Responsibilities

• Operationalize the department’s performance effectiveness plan.
• Analyze audience behavior and strategic effectiveness.
• Oversee annual brand perception studies.

Skills

Data analysis skills

Strong communication skills

Leadership skills

Project management skills

Experience with A/B testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, data analytics or a related field

Tools

Excel

SQL

Snowflake

GA4

Data Studio

Job description

Overview

The primary goal of University Communications is to showcase the University of Virginia as a model of excellence in public higher education through effective and engaging communications and marketing. Our aim is not only to inform but to inspire our audiences, building brand affinity and ensuring the impact of the University is widely recognized across the UVA community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and beyond. We are a team of talented communications and marketing professionals who embrace collaboration and foster a culture where the exchange of ideas and a commitment to continuous improvement are essential to strengthening our work.

Position Summary

Building on University Communications’ substantial investment in its Performance Effectiveness Plan and related dashboard, the Senior Analyst will help operationalize this measurement framework and champion the team’s growth toward excellence in data-informed decision-making. The Senior Analyst will serve as a strategic partner to teams across our department, helping them analyze and interpret data, extract insights, identify trends and opportunities, and apply findings to future communications and marketing strategies. The ideal candidate will be competent in data collection and analysis while also effectively communicating their point of view on what the data means and how it should help shape our approach to our work. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Brand Strategy, this position will support and influence work across University Communications, including marketing campaigns, communications plans, media relations efforts, brand initiatives, content distributed across our channels such as UVA Today, social media and websites, and other department priorities. The role will help ensure that insights gleaned from analyses of campaign and channel performance, audience behavior, brand perception, and engagement trends are consistently reviewed, understood, and used to improve outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Research and Evaluation

• Operationalize and continue to mature the department’s annual performance effectiveness plan, championing the program with energy and discipline until data-informed decision-making becomes second nature to our entire department during the regular planning and execution of our work.
• Help teams move beyond activity-based reporting toward a deeper understanding of outcomes, impact, audience behavior, and strategic effectiveness.
• Oversee large-scale annual brand perception studies and smaller pulse studies to assess audience sentiment, brand awareness, and gaps in knowledge.
• Analyze performance across paid, earned, shared, owned, and brand-related channels to assess how effectively University Communications is reaching, engaging, and influencing key audiences.
• Analyze and report on the performance of content, channels, initiatives, and campaigns to determine their impact and effectiveness.
• Design and implement A/B tests to evaluate and refine communication strategies, ensuring that messaging resonates effectively with target audiences across various platforms and demographics.

Data-Driven Insights and Strategic Advisement

• Serve as a consultative partner to teams across University Communications, helping colleagues interpret data and apply insights to planning and execution.
• Provide a clear, evidence-informed point of view on how results should shape communications strategy, content development, channel planning, and audience engagement.
• Translate complex data and research findings into concise, compelling narratives for leaders, communicators, and cross-functional partners.
• Provide training on interpreting and utilizing data, including metrics, trends, audience engagement, and brand perception.

Performance Reporting, Brand Monitoring, and Reputation Management

• Build and oversee annual brand perception studies to assess the strength and clarity of UVA’s brand; understand audience behaviors and sentiment; evaluate messaging resonance; and identify implications for our work.
• Manage and optimize the department’s custom performance effectiveness dashboard, including the product roadmap for dashboard enhancements, in partnership with channel owners.
• Analyze UVA's online reputation, including social sentiment, community engagement, and earned media, to ensure proactive brand reputation management.
• Communicate key findings and recommendations to the Leadership Council and other stakeholders to assess performance and, where needed, inform strategic adjustments.
• Ensure that research findings are translated into action to improve and optimize our communications and marketing efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, data analytics, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in marketing research, data analytics, business intelligence, or a related field.

Required Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Expertise in evaluating marketing metrics, audience behavior, and brand health.
• Proven ability to translate research data into actionable insights that inform strategic decisions.
• Experience with A/B testing, social sentiment analysis, and online reputation management.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex data and research findings clearly to non-technical audiences and demonstrate how insights can be applied to their strategies and work.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience in managing research programs and driving data-informed decision-making.
• Strong consultative skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and influence work through insight, evidence, and clear recommendations.
• Excellent organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and recurring reporting cycles.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, clarity, and usefulness.
• Curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to ask strong questions that help teams better understand performance and audience behavior.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with tools such as Excel, Snowflake, GA4, Data Studio, SQL, and other tools used for data manipulation, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience with web and social media analytics, media monitoring, email analytics, and campaign reporting.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, agency, media, marketing, or other complex mission-driven organizations.
• Experience helping teams adopt new measurement practices, dashboards, reporting processes, or data-informed ways of working.
• Project management experience.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The hiring range is $85,000 to $100,000, commensurate with education and experience.

This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days on grounds per week, with additional on-site presence as needed, in accordance with UVA’s remote work guidelines.

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.