Director, Institutional Research

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission.

At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer: 

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match 
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! 

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) nurtures and supports a campus-wide culture of engaged curiosity and informed decision-making by providing robust, timely, and accurate information and analyses. The work of IRA is critical to continuous improvement of the student experience and to strengthening the future of the University. Howard University seeks a Director of Institutional Research who is excited and motivated by an opportunity to gain experience and use a variety of tools and approaches to be effective at an institution providing life-changing experiences for students.

The Director of Institutional Research will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations and institutional research resources within IRA, which is responsible for coordinating a comprehensive program of institutional effectiveness supporting university-wide planning, assessment, research initiatives, data governance and accreditation. The Director will also work closely with stakeholders to generate reports in Workday, the new ERP system for the University, for both compliance reporting and internal reporting purposes. In addition, the Director collects, analyzes, and reports a wide variety of institutional data for use by key stakeholders, including the president and all campus divisions. This position requires a positive attitude, an ability to collaborate with others, a desire to improve and simplify processes, an eagerness to learn new software tools, including dashboard tools, and a hunger for accuracy and completeness.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Director of Institutional Research primarily oversees the University’s external reporting, internal reporting, and data analysis in support of institutional assessment, planning, and decision-making. Key responsibilities include ensuring data stewardship, conducting research and analysis, and data reporting and presentation.

SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY:

The Director of Institutional Research works under the general direction of the Associate Provost of Institutional Accreditation and Assessment and supervises a Data Analyst, Senior Research Analyst and Undergraduate student Worker / Graduate Assistant.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Works with the Associate Provost of Institutional Accreditation and Assessment to prioritize and manage data-informed institutional transformation aligned with strategic priorities and mission-enabled imperatives.
• Oversees and supports operational and organizational strategies to further transformation.
• Coordinates workshops, seminars and other activities for faculty and staff on Institutional Research.
• Keeps abreast of current institutional research best practices and disseminates that knowledge across the University.
• Collaborates with appropriate offices in the identification of data for decision-making.
• Ensures reports comply with regulations and guidelines, successfully passing internal and external checks.
• Recommends changes to institutional processes to improve data quality.
• Key player in establishing and sustaining a campus-wide data governance infrastructure that fosters a culture of trust and shared responsibility for the ethical use of administrative data for institutional strategic purposes.
• Maintains updated and accurate institutional data on the IRA website for reporting needs.
• Analyzes institutional needs related to data integrity and recommends improvements.
• Identifies opportunities to standardize data reporting processes and enhance data quality and integrity.
• Manages federal and state reporting processes, including data quality and submissions.
• Coordinates with external organizations regarding reporting processes, regulations, guidelines, submissions and corrections.
• Identifies data quality issues and works with appropriate staff to resolve issues and processes as needed.  
• Conducts data audits to ensure integrity and recommends modifications for improvement.
• Monitors and evaluates complex information from internal and external sources.  
• Reconciles institutional reports with federal IPEDS edits.
• Attends conferences and workshops to stay updated on institutional research methods and regulations.
• Uses data management tools to develop, maintain and manipulate large data sets.
• Responds to ad hoc requests for data and information.
• Assists with the systemic review and evaluation of institutional planning, research, effectiveness, and compliance areas.
• Regularly attends work, reports punctually, and follows a work schedule.
• Completes duties in compliance with university standards, policies, and guidelines.
• Uses people skills to assign duties effectively.
• Completes required training and professional development sessions sponsored by Howard University.
• Accommodates flexible working hours that include evenings, holidays or weekends depending on deadline requirements and special events.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Strong commitment to the university’s mission.
• Extensive knowledge of campus operations.
• Knowledge of statistical theories, proficiency in SQL, and on-line survey software.
• Proficiency in Workday, Banner, and SQL developer and/or Argos.
• Excellent supervisory, administrative, communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships.
• Builds reporting solutions using business intelligence (BI) tools, extracts student, research, and other academic data from various systems.
• Experience in organizing, conceptualizing, and prioritizing objectives with a high-volume workflow office.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree in a behavioral or social science or other scientific/analytic field from a regionally accredited college or university, which includes coursework in statistics, research design and analysis, assessment and program evaluation techniques, technical report writing, and survey methods (master’s or Ph.D. preferred). 
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience at the post-secondary education level as a director (Director, Associate Director, or Assistant Director) of institutional research with experience that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of this position e.g. performing and coordinating institutional research using computer applications; large databases; statistical packages/descriptive and inferential statistics; strategic planning; analyzing student outcomes; and conducting institutional or social science research.
• Two (2) years of supervisory experience in an institutional research setting.               
• Three (3) + years Power BI or Tableau experience; data warehousing, demonstrable expertise with SQL, Python, Excel, or related analytic tools.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail combined with understanding of big picture, strong interpersonal skills and teamwork skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and ability to work independently as well as cooperatively.
• Strong understanding of database concepts; experience with data warehouses and transactional databases.

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Expected Pay Range: $131,818 - $145,000