Senior Analyst, Research and Evaluation

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JOB TITLE SUMMARY

Job Title: Senior Analyst, Research and Evaluation

Division: Academic Affairs

Evaluation Group: Staff

FLSA Status: Exempt

Starting Salary: $ 52,185.00 +

Work Location: ***Flexible virtual work options may be provided***

Reports To: Director, Institutional Research

Positions Supervised: N/A

Job Summary

The senior analyst for research and evaluation conducts research on institutional issues. This position leads initiatives and assists other stakeholders in study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Interprets, monitors, and analyzes information regarding key operational practices and outcomes, yielding actionable information to guide decisions in wide-ranging areas
• Delivers clear, accurate, informative results related to student academic progress, course outcomes, and other institutional priorities
• Develops research methodology for gathering data and/or using appropriate statistical techniques on available data
• Explores data from multiple angles, determines meaning behind data, and recommends application(s) of findings
• Utilizes both descriptive and inferential statistics to understand not only what outcomes have occurred, but also why they may have occurred
• Reviews relevant educational research, best practices, and analytical techniques to inform organizational practices and data analysis decisions
• Assists in the completion of ad hoc data requests and university compliance reports
• Leads or assists with survey design and administration projects
• Develops short- and mid-length project plans for extra complex research questions
• Approaches complex student outcomes with organized thinking, breaking the problem into coherent parts for analysis and potential action by practitioners
• Analyzes existing issues, questions existing processes and assumptions, gathers data and information, finds and evaluates alternative solutions, and proposes best course of action
• Identifies systemic data management problems and assists in the development of solutions
• Seeks to improve statistical skills, data presentation skills, and leadership abilities in a higher education context
• Applies a social justice orientation during analytical work by attempting to identify and alleviate potential gaps in key outcomes among a variety of student groups and demographics

Service Excellence

• Supports the mission of the university and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the university’s values – integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork
• Assists faculty and staff in determining necessary information and obtaining access to it
• Aids organizational leaders in articulating research questions for the institution

Communication, Teamwork, and Collaboration

• Collaborates with stakeholders to identify informational needs and research questions, select data sources, and present results in an engaging way for appropriate audiences
• Communicates, conveys, and visualizes informed conclusions and recommendations
• Collaborates with team members on multifaceted, complex research reports and data dashboards
• Presents relative external research to various audiences to aid in professional development efforts

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.

• Master’s degree in higher education, education leadership/policy, psychology, or related social science field
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with quantitative data (preferably administrative data) or other large, longitudinal data sets

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills to determine real data needs and collaborate with other University offices
• Ability to think deeply about outcomes and test and develop hypotheses accordingly
• Knowledge of higher education business practices, data types, and management issues
• Expert at conveying information via descriptive statistics
• Knowledge of inferential statistics and an interest in expanding skill set
• Proficiency in basic data visualization in Excel and statistical software packages, i.e., Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and/or Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software
• Proficiency with basic analysis and data management in SPSS and/or SAS
• Familiarity with data querying and reporting tools
• Ability to concisely and accurately describe analytical results via writing
• Knowledge of basic survey design, distribution, and analysis techniques
• Knowledge of basic student assessment design and analysis techniques

Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions.

• General office setting

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for up to eight hours daily
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.