Director of Institutional Research & Data Analytics

OUTSTANDING BENEFITS UNLIKE ANY OTHER. Low-cost health benefits, 403b employer contribution, affordable tuition at Niagara University for you and eligible immediate family members, tuition exchange at other designated universities for eligible dependent children, generous holidays (20 days annually), PTO, and ½ day Fridays throughout the summer. Niagara University is also an approved employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Campus life is vibrant and offers free parking, on-site dining options, and fresh coffee at Tim Horton's and Starbucks, all in a beautiful park-like setting. If you'd like to know more, check out all of the NU Facts.

 

The Director of Institutional Research & Data Analytics serves as the university's primary data strategist and analytics expert. Operating as a hands-on technical lead and key decision-support partner, the Director is responsible for the extraction, synthesis, analysis, and visualization of institutional data to support evidence-based decision-making, enrollment and retention strategy, internal operations, and mandatory state and federal compliance reporting.

This role will require a blend of technical expertise, data architecture familiarity, project management skills, and executive-level communication. The Director collaborates closely with Information Technology, academic leadership, and other administrative offices, and provides critical data assets and analytical support to university leaders overseeing accreditation, assessment, and strategic planning.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

• Statutory compliance, State/Federal reporting, & Survey management (30%)
  • Serve as the university's primary coordinator and keyholder for all mandatory state and federal reporting, including IPEDS and NYSED (New York State Education Department)
  • Lead the completion, validation, and submission of major external guidebook and benchmarking surveys (e.g., U.S. News & World Report, Princeton Review, College Board, NSSE)

 

• Institutional analytics, Dashboards, & Decision support (30%)
  • Build and maintain a sustainable institutional census data model using Entrinsik Informer, creating automated snapshot workflows to capture, freeze, and archive point-in-time enrollment and related data.
  • Design, build, and maintain interactive business intelligence (BI) dashboards and self-service data tools for executive leadership, deans, and department heads using modern visualization tools
  • Translate complex quantitative data into clear, compelling narratives, visualizations, and executive summaries to inform university strategy and policy
  • Execute ad-hoc analytical queries and specialized research studies in response to emerging institutional priorities and leadership requests

 

• Enrollment, Retention, & Student Success analytics (20%)
  • Conduct longitudinal cohort studies, predictive retention modeling, and student success research to identify drivers of persistent student retention and graduation outcomes
  • Partner with individual academic and administrative departments to build program-level retention and outcome models tailored to support specialized program reviews, grant reporting, success initiatives, and localized operational decision-making

 

• Assessment, Accreditation, & Strategic Planning support (10%)
  • Provide necessary data sets, trend analyses, and benchmarking evidence required for university accreditation (MSCHE) and specialized academic program accreditations
  • Supply core performance metrics, KPI tracking, and comparative peer group data to support the University's strategic planning workflows
  • Assist academic and administrative departments with survey design, methodology, and statistical analysis for core institutional surveys

 

• Data governance, Quality assurance, & Systems integration (10%)
  • Collaborate with Information Technology (IT) and other stakeholders to ensure data integrity, consistent definitions, and robust data hygiene across enterprise systems
  • Contribute to institutional data governance initiatives, establishing standard data definitions, data dictionary documentation, and single-source-of-truth reporting protocols
  • Maintain absolute confidentiality and compliance regarding student (FERPA), employee, and proprietary institutional data

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Technical & Analytical capabilities
  • Statistical Analysis: Demonstrated expertise in statistical analysis, modeling, and software tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python)
  • Data extraction & Manipulation: Demonstrated expertise in constructing and manipulating large datasets, creating repetitive reporting workflows
  • Data visualization: Demonstrated expertise in designing user-friendly dashboards
  • Enterprise systems: Experience working with enterprise software (e.g., Ellucian Colleague, Slate, Canvas) and underlying data structures

• Professional competencies
  • Autonomous execution: Proven ability to manage competing priorities and complex projects independently
  • Data translation & Storytelling: Ability to communicate technical, statistical, and complex findings clearly to non-technical audiences to facilitate understanding and decision-making
  • Collaborative mindset: Strong interpersonal skills to build positive cross-departmental relationships at all levels of the organization
  • Accuracy & Discretion: Exceptional attention to detail, commitment to data precision, and a strong track record of maintaining confidentiality

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS:

• Master's degree in a relevant field
• Minimum 4-5 years of progressive experience in institutional research, data analytics, business intelligence, or decision support, preferably in higher education

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in a solo or small-team institutional research environment
• Experience with compliance reporting
• Experience with Entrinsik Informer

 

ERGONOMIC REQUIREMENTS:

The ergonomic requirements for this position include the ability to perform responsibilities in a normal manner that includes sitting for written and other desk-related work. Tasks include working on PC or laptop computers, calculators, fax machines, cell, smart, or landline telephones, copy machines, and other office technologies where each requires and involves extensive hand and wrist movements. All individuals are required to be able to perform these movements without significant risk of injury to themselves or others. Reasonable accommodations will be made consistent with University policy and applicable law.

 

THE UNIVERSITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, REASSIGN, OR COMBINE POSITIONS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.