Strategic Director of Institutional Research & 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

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.