Senior Data and Policy Analyst
Virginia Community Colleges
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Job summary
Virginia Community Colleges is seeking a Senior Data and Policy Analyst to provide advanced institutional research, SAS programming, and analytical leadership across system-wide regulatory reporting. The role translates federal/state requirements into reproducible data definitions and reporting processes.
Reporting to the Director of Institutional Research, you will develop complex SAS programs, validate college submissions, and support data integration with external datasets while guiding staff
Qualifications
- Advanced knowledge of institutional research principles and regulatory reporting.
- Advanced SAS programming including data-step, SQL, macros, and validation procedures.
- Experience developing reproducible SAS programs and production data processes.
- Ability to translate regulatory/policy requirements into data definitions and reporting outputs.
- Experience with large student-level datasets and data-quality assessment.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain complex SAS programs and core data files.
- Evaluate accuracy and consistency of college submissions and integrate data with external datasets.
- Provide advanced consultation, training, and technical leadership to staff.
- Advise on data availability and reporting feasibility and risk.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Senior Data and Policy Analyst
Policy Planning Spcialst III
19133-SW
FLSA Exempt
06
26100102
VCCS-System Office
System Office (Div)
Chesterfield - 041
$102,000 to $112,000 annually
No
Full Time or Part Time
Full Time
Telework options are subject to change based on business needs - Yes
No
M-F 8-5 and after hours as needed.
No
Virginia’s community colleges have a 50-year track record of educational excellence and innovation to serve the needs of our citizens and strengthen the Commonwealth’s economy. When Virginia’s General Assembly established the Virginia Community College System in 1966, the need for a comprehensive system was well known. Over the two decades after the end of World War II, leaders in government, business, professional sectors, and academia had called for a new approach to providing educational opportunity. A key concern was Virginia’s ability to develop a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to expand the state’s economy. Today our community colleges give every Virginian the opportunity to gain a quality education. With 23 colleges on 40 campuses located throughout the state, Virginia’s Community Colleges are committed to serving Virginia families, helping them acquire the knowledge and skills to seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow.
This Senior Data and Policy Analyst provides advanced institutional research, SAS programming, and analytical expertise supporting systemwide regulatory reporting for Virginia’s 23 community colleges and the VCCS System Office. The position serves as the senior technical subject-matter expert responsible for translating approved federal, state, and VCCS reporting requirements into reproducible data definitions, analytical methodologies, SAS programs, validation procedures, and reporting processes.
Working under the direction of the Director of Institutional Research, the individual in this position develops and maintains complex SAS programs and core data files; evaluates the accuracy and consistency of college submissions; integrates VCCS data with external education and workforce datasets; and resolves complex reporting, programming, and data-quality issues. This position also provides advanced consultation, training, documentation, and technical leadership to college and System Office institutional research staff. This position advises the Director regarding data availability, reporting feasibility, methodological implications, implementation risks, and available technical approaches and is responsible for implementing approved decisions.
May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.
- Advanced knowledge of institutional research principles, regulatory reporting, quantitative analysis, and data-quality assurance.
- Advanced proficiency in SAS programming, including data-step programming, SQL , macros, file processing, data transformation, validation, and statistical or analytical procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, test, document, and maintain complex, reproducible SAS programs and production processes.
- Knowledge of relational and longitudinal data structures and methods for integrating data from multiple sources.
- Ability to translate approved regulatory and policy requirements into data definitions, business rules, analytical methodologies, validation procedures, and reporting outputs.
- Ability to analyze large and complex student-level datasets and identify data-quality, methodological, and reporting concerns.
- Knowledge of federal and state postsecondary reporting requirements, including SCHEV , IPEDS , and Perkins reporting, or the ability to acquire this knowledge.
- Knowledge of student information data and postsecondary measures involving enrollment, progression, completion, transfer, and workforce outcomes.
- Ability to explain complex data, SAS processes, reporting methodologies, and validation findings to technical and nontechnical audiences.
- Ability to develop and deliver effective training and technical documentation.
- Ability to manage multiple recurring reporting cycles, deadlines, dependencies, and competing priorities.
- Ability to exercise sound independent judgment while recognizing matters requiring policy clarification or management direction.
- Ability to protect confidential information and apply applicable privacy, security, disclosure, and data-use requirements.
- Ability to establish effective working relationships with college institutional research staff, System Office personnel, state agency staff, and approved research partners.
- Considerable experience conducting advanced institutional research, regulatory reporting, quantitative analysis, or related work in a complex organization.
- Considerable experience developing and maintaining complex SAS programs used for recurring reporting, data integration, validation, or analysis.
- Experience working with large administrative datasets and integrating information from multiple data sources.
- Experience developing reporting methodologies, business rules, validation procedures, and technical documentation.
- Experience independently investigating and resolving complex programming and data-quality problems.
- Experience communicating analytical or reporting requirements and providing consultation or training to data users.
- Experience with higher education institutional research or regulatory reporting.
- Experience with SCHEV , IPEDS , Perkins, National Student Clearinghouse, workforce, or comparable state and federal data.
- Experience supporting reporting across multiple institutions or organizational units.
- Experience developing SAS macros, automated validation tools, longitudinal datasets, and reproducible production processes.
- Experience training or mentoring institutional research, reporting, or analytical staff.
- Graduate-level education in institutional research, education, public policy, statistics, data analytics, social science, or a related field.
No
No
Travel as required to System Office and conference locations.
CLS_4725P
General Public - G
1
09/08/2026
09/21/2026
No
www.vccs.edu
This position is a state classified position. All classified employees new to the Commonwealth of Virginia will serve a 12-month probationary period. The VCCS offers competitive compensation along with excellent benefits and opportunity for career development.
The selected candidate’s offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth’s Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link: http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/
The Virginia Community College System ( VCCS ) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, political affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or other non-merit factors.
The Virginia Community College System ( VCCS ) is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Acts ( ADA and ADAAA ), to provide, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of access to the application, interviewing, and selection processes when requested.
VCCSuses E-Verify to check employee eligibility to work in the United States. You will be required to complete an I-9 form and provide documentation of your identity for employment purposes.
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- Resume
- Cover Letter/Letter of Application
- Unofficial Transcripts
- Alternative Hiring Process Letter
- SF-50 (Documentation of involuntary separation from Federal Agency)
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