Corporate Data and Research Analyst

Position Summary

Under the leadership of the Director of Corporate Relations, the Corporate Data and Research Analyst will serve as a business analyst/consultant to the Corporate Relations team as part of the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (OCFR). The analyst will engage with various campus partners involved with data information systems to conduct extensive analytical evaluations of Rice’s corporate partner participation and giving with the goal of augmenting a holistic corporate relations strategy at Rice. Through collaboration among the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Development and Alumni Relations, the Office of Research, the Enterprise Data and Business Intelligence department and across the larger university, the Corporate Data and Research Analyst will continue the effort of building and maintaining the pipeline for holistic corporate relations data. The analyst will help to define, produce and mine accurate data systems designed to support Rice’s efforts to build effective corporate partnerships. The Corporate Data and Research Analyst will conduct independent research focused on current and prospective corporate partners to stay informed of market trends, glean industry updates and help identify companies whose business goals best complement Rice’s strengths. The analyst will use results from analyses to guide the team on various strategies that will lead to success in increasing corporate engagement at Rice University.

The ideal candidate will have experience in analyzing and synthesizing complex data sets and conducting research to produce readable, informative analyses for consumption by a variety of nontechnical users. The candidate will be knowledgeable about industry standards, understand potential business opportunities and their impact and have the ability to facilitate an ongoing dialog between the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, the Office of Research, Enterprise Data and Business Intelligence and other campus partners.

Essential Functions

• Plans and conducts analyses and studies of business processes, functions, organizations and teams
• Interviews business leaders, stakeholders, staff, and subject matter experts to gain an understanding of their needs and objectives
• Advises supervisors, managers and other business stakeholders on technical, systems or process related topics
• Identifies, analyzes, creates and recommends solutions to improve business processes and operations
• Designs and develops models and practices to support sound business decisions
• Participates in the design and modification of business and IT systems
• Creates and manages project plans, including change management and technical implementation
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions/Information

• Designs, produces and maintains data capture systems, metrics and reports that support the Presidential Partners program (which recognizes Rice’s most engaged corporate partners) as well as support the university’s overall comprehensive corporate relations ecosystem
• Conducts situational analyses on current and prospective Presidential Partner companies, finding and communicating relevant information in a readable format to campus partners
• Analyzes information, historical trends, and peer and national metrics to identify issues and recommend actions
• Assists in recommending technical systems necessary to meet the strategic goals of corporate engagement at Rice
• Studies, recommends and implements new techniques to convey data in an impactful format for various audiences
• Serves as a premier business analyst/consultant to staff
• Serves as point person for the OCFR team for database systems upgrades and integrations
• Runs quality audits and develops processes for entering and maintaining corporate data in the campus-wide advancement system (powered by Blackbaud CRM)
• Effectively articulates corporate relations data needs to campus partners
• Occasional contact within the university with faculty, deans and administrators, including the president and provost in writing, in person and by telephone
• Frequent contact with senior development staff and development officers in writing, in person and by telephone
• Occasional contact with corporate personnel and alumni at corporations
• Occasional contact with highly placed alumni volunteers involved in the process of validating research results
• Occasional contact with outside research sources (e.g., libraries, information specialists, etc.)
• Open office environment
• Long hours in front of a computer

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with emphasis in data analysis, mathematics, statistics, financial analysis or similar coursework
• Three years of related experience in data analysis , data modeling, statistical modeling and/or analytics, including e xperience analyzing and synthesizing complex data sets and conducting research to produce readable, informative analyses for consumption by a variety of non-technical users
• Skills Required
  • Proficient analytical skills to arrange information or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules
  • Problem sensitivity to know when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong; natural curiosity to understand the possible underlying issues and suggest potential mitigations
  • Active listening to give full attention to what is being said, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate
  • Proficient verbal and written communications skills including report preparation and presentation to gather information and share recommendation and outcome
  • Proficient document and specification skills to share information in a clear and concise manner

Substitutions

• In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience
  • Working for an institution of higher education, non-profit organization or corporation in data analytics or a related field
  • Experience with Tableau or other data visualization tools
  • Expertise with business directories and research resources
  • Experience in interpreting corporate financial documents, shareholder meeting updates and technical and strategic speeches
• Skills
  • Understanding of data mining and data management tools and techniques
  • Strong analytical, research and data interpretation skills
  • Strong skills in using queries to extract and transform data from a variety of sources
  • Displays good judgment in dynamic situations
  • Values attention to detail
  • Displays confidence as a mentor and collaborator
  • Utilizes strong time management skills
  • Holds knowledge of advancement database software concepts and related programs
  • Expertise with a variety of analytical and information management software

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies