Davidson College seeks a Director of Institutional Research to serve as a key leader in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness within Academic Affairs. This position is an excellent opportunity for a candidate aspiring to lead institutional research efforts in a vibrant and diverse liberal arts college context located in the dynamic metropolitan Charlotte, NC area.

The director will lead external reporting and support data-informed decision-making across the college and report to the Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness. The position will direct research and analysis activities in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, including comparisons to peer institutions and external reporting. The director will also support and supervise the Institutional Research Analyst.

Responsibilities:

1. Benchmarking, Quantitative, and Qualitative Analysis. Conduct comparative analyses using peers or other appropriate groups of institutions of higher education using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Provide appropriate analyses to track changes over time for Davidson and its peer institutions. Support the development and analysis of key performance indicators related to strategic plans, priorities, and initiatives. Develop and maintain data visualizations and dashboards, including the College Factfile and Peer Benchmark Comparisons. Develop and maintain institutional models (e.g. Enrollment Management Model) for trend identification and informed decision making. Identify, prioritize, and respond to ad hoc data requests for internal and external stakeholders, delegating, as appropriate, to the Institutional Research Analyst. Consult with campus partners on data collection and analysis projects.

2. External Reporting. Oversee and manage the college’s statistical reporting to external agencies, including IPEDS (serve as Keyholder), NCICU, and publishers. As the Keyholder, coordinate and collect responses from partners across campus. Provide support to the Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness related to college’s accreditation requirements through SACSCOC.

3. Policy Analysis and Modeling. Track issues and trends in higher education as they relate to the college’s mission and direction. Conduct institutional analyses and models based on issues and trends identified.

4. Support and Direct Work of the Institutional Research Analyst. Provide direction, support, and professional development to the Institutional Research Analyst, a full-time staff member in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness who is responsible for facilitating responses to federal/state agencies (IPEDS and NCHEDS) and recurring external surveys such as US News. Review submissions and ensure all external deadlines are met. Collaborates with and directs the analyst on the development and maintenance of electronic reports and dashboards and requests to support ad hoc research projects.

5. Campus Service. Represents the Office of Institutional Effectiveness on appropriate campus committees (e.g., Co-Chair of the Data Governance Committee) and in professional organizations (e.g., NC Independent Colleges & Universities IR Directors Group).

6. Office Management. Oversee office budget, and other duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness.

Minimum Qualifications and Skills:

• A master’s degree in the social sciences, education, mathematics/statistics, or a related field
• Five years experience in an Institutional Research or Institutional Effectiveness Office, including writing and presenting reports to diverse audiences; experience with IPEDS and other external reporting requirements
• Experience with quantitative research methods, the ability to employ multiple methods of statistical analyses, and the ability to learn new statistical methods when needed
• Excellent knowledge of data warehouse protocols and relational databases
• Excellent knowledge of statistical software packages such as R, SPSS, SAS, or STATA
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a variety of campus offices and partners
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion, adhering to best practices of data confidentiality and storage
• Excellent knowledge of Google Drive/Docs and Microsoft Office applications

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:

• A doctoral degree in the social sciences, education, mathematics/statistics, or a related field, or commensurate research experience
• Seven or more years experience in an Institutional Research or Institutional Effectiveness Office
• Experience with qualitative research methods
• Excellent knowledge of data visualization tools such as Power BI (preferred) or Tableau
• Excellent knowledge of survey software packages such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms
• Experience writing and presenting reports to institutional leaders
• Experience with data governance procedures and best practices
• Experience developing key performance indicators and conducting data analyses to support strategic planning
• Experience supervising professional staff

Potential for Remote Work:

Academic Affairs has a flexible work location program in keeping with the college’s remote work policy. The Director for Institutional Research will be eligible to work remotely 2-3 days per week, as determined with the Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Remote work arrangements will be reviewed regularly through the college’s performance management process. Candidates should expect to maintain a residence within commuting distance of the Charlotte metro area. An initial campus orientation period (of a minimum of 3 months) worked from the office may be required.

Application Instructions:

Applicants should complete the online application on http://employment.davidson.edu by Friday, December 1, 2023. Applicants will be asked to submit a Curriculum Vitae or resumé, a cover letter describing how their experiences and aspirations align with the position’s responsibilities and qualifications, and three professional references.