SENIOR DIRECTOR  of  INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH  
Wayne State University

 

Posting Number	036537
Position Title	Sr Director, Institutional Researches
Primary Department	H7501-Office of Planning, Budget & Analysis
Essential Functions (Job Duties)	This position, reporting to the Associate Vice President for Budget, Planning and Analysis, will oversee the Institutional Research function to ensure that Wayne State's capability and products for aggregating, processing, and disseminating a wide range of data is of the highest caliber. The Sr Director serves as a leader and organizational strategist and is expected to transform this unit into a proactive analytic resource to serve WSU policy makers, as well as a trusted, centralized repository for up-to-date information about the University at large. Manage the Institutional Research function for the university by satisfying federal, state, and other external reporting requirements, as well as the needs of university staff and faculty Manage the data analysis and reporting functions for the State of Michigan Higher Education Institutional Data Inventory (HEIDI) data and IPEDS (Federal reporting mandate). Provide leadership on strategic direction for the Institutional Research function. Assess the content of national studies and and published research on issues relevant to institutions of higher education and adjoining environments. Maintain currency on policies and reporting requirements of external agencies, such as the U.S. Dept. of Education, NCA Higher Learning Commission and the State of Michigan.   Direct information production: Oversee the student information system database to retrieve, clean, and organize data; develop and produce reports on student demographics, enrollments, course grades, etc.; and present reports and data in written and oral form. Oversee or conduct trend, correlational, and matrix analyses of trends and patterns in student and program characteristics. Provide, report and analyze statistical data from all sectors of the University to be used in compiling and reporting on strategic indicators, institutional performance, fact books, etc.  Direct information services: Compile and analyze information for the senior management. Work with the schools, colleges and divisions at the university to assess, advise and implement research projects, including regular standardized reports as well as individualized reports as needed. Coordinate with academic departments, financial aid, registrar, and various other university offices in conducting analysis and preparing reports. Collaborate on fiscal planning: Work in collaboration with the budget and finance functions, analyze the university's financial trends, ratios, bond-related data, internal and external cost recovery rates and benchmarking data. Direct communications function: Oversee the delivery of communications of complex and technical issues to non-technical individuals in verbal and written reports on institutional research activities. Direct staff: Supervise and mentor research analysts and assure the quality and accuracy of their work. Will recruit, hire, train, direct daily activities, discipline and develop the staff to ensure accurate and timely data and service delivery.
Unique Duties	Qualifications This position requires minimum qualifications of a master's degree with coursework in higher education administration, statistics, operations research, quantitative methods, or a related field. A doctorate is strongly preferred. At least ten years of related experience, with at least five years of direct divisional or institutional assessment practice and experience including: long-range and strategic planning and/or project management, program evaluation, business process modeling and change management.
Preferred Qualifications Analytical Skills	Excellent qualitative and quantitative research design skills and the ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate research results to diverse audiences in support of decision-making regarding continuous program improvement. Ability to develop, report, and update common instruments, such as: Fact books, IPEDS, Digital Dashboards, Benchmarking, Strategic Management Reports, etc. Communication Skills: Excellent presentation skills, including uses of presentation technology. Technical Knowledge: A strong understanding of leading-edge methods of data management and analysis across a large, complex institution. Proficiency with computerized statistical packages such as SQL, SAS, SPSS, or other similar software is required. Financial Skills: Experience with fund accounting in a university, forecasting and financial analysis, and experience with the SunGard SCT Banner system. Management Skills: Excellent organization, management, communication, and human relation skills. Must possess strong organizational skills, be able to handle multiple tasks, and complete work accurately and within deadlines. Computer Skills: Demonstrated proficiency with advanced functions within MS Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
Job Open Date	09-29-2009
Job Close Date	Until Suitable Candidate is found
	Click the following link to go to Wayne State University's posting details or to apply for this position: https://jobs.wayne.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=190363