Director, Data Analytics & Research

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The Director leads a team of data analysts, research scientists, and data scientists that delivers insights, tools, and models to drive strategic decisions, enabling instructors and mentors to effectively reach nearly 170,000 students and improve educational outcomes through focused, high-quality outreach. Reporting to the Vice President of Institutional Analytics and Research (IAR), this role is pivotal in generating actionable findings that enhance student outcomes and drive key university objectives, particularly around WGU’s core results: Completion, Equity, and Return. The Director ensures the timely and accurate delivery of critical work products to both internal and external stakeholders, including those related to grant-funded initiatives. Serving as a key liaison, the Director works cross-functionally with senior leaders to align the team’s efforts with the highest-priority needs of its stakeholders. This role actively participates in decision-making processes, contributing to annual planning and adjusting priorities throughout the year in response to the evolving strategic and operational needs of the university - particularly for Instruction and Mentoring leadership.

In addition to setting strategic priorities, the Director ensures that all work is meticulously tracked and reported to meet the expectations of senior leadership and other stakeholders. The Director also fosters a culture of continuous improvement by staying at the forefront of trends in higher education, data analytics, and instructional research, ensuring that the team’s efforts are forward-looking and aligned with best practices. Moreover, the Director cultivates an environment of professional growth, providing learning and development opportunities that enable team members to thrive. By promoting collaboration, high performance, and retention, the Director builds and sustains a high-performing team ready to meet the evolving needs of the university.

Primary Responsibilities

The Director will be responsible for a range of activities and outcomes, including, among others:

Initiative Outcome Measurement & Reporting:

• Leads the design, development, and management of a robust reporting ecosystem, including dashboards, reports, and analytical tools, to support equitable student outcomes and advance university objectives, particularly within institutional initiatives related to Instruction and Mentoring (including both student and faculty performance metrics).

• Oversees the production and distribution of high-impact reports for internal and external stakeholders, including executive summaries, infographics, and research articles.

• Ensures alignment of reporting systems with strategic goals by collaborating closely with analytics teams and university leadership to deliver actionable insights.

• Designs and manages initiatives in partnership with stakeholders to evaluate performance against WGU’s Key Results: Completion, Equity, and Return.

Knowledge Management:

• Provides strategic leadership in managing university-wide enterprise reporting platforms such as Tableau and Power BI, with a specific focus on optimizing Power BI functionality in collaboration with EdTech team.

• Partners with People Development and faculty leadership to facilitate Power BI training and user support.

• Regularly updates university leaders on the progress of reporting initiatives.

Product Data Integration:

• Collaborates with Product Managers to design data integration strategies for systems used by Instructors, Mentors, faculty leaders, and ancillary users (e.g., Accreditation, Program Development).

• Oversees analysts working on data integration projects, ensuring alignment with Product, Data Architecture, and Data Engineering teams.

Data Quality:

• Oversees data quality reviews, coordinating with Data Engineering team to monitor and resolve any issues, ensuring high standards for all relevant work.

Survey & Focus Groups Management:

• Leads the design, execution, and analysis of faculty-related surveys and focus groups tied to new initiatives and product implementations.

• Collaborates with teams conducting student surveys and focus groups to integrate findings into the evaluation of team-led projects and services.

University Representation & Leadership:

• Represents WGU at conferences, professional organizations, and in higher education forums, enhancing the university’s reputation and influence.

• Provides data-driven insights and strategic recommendations during executive-level meetings to support university-wide planning and decision-making.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication:

• Engages with key stakeholders to identify and address data needs, ensuring alignment with departmental goals and broader university initiatives.

• Partners with Academic Delivery and Mentoring divisions to develop faculty performance metrics.

• Facilitates workshops, training sessions, and presentations to promote data literacy and the effective use of research across the university.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement:

• Stays at the forefront of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in AI and data analytics, ensuring that WGU’s data analytics activities are innovative and aligned with industry standards.

• Implements continuous improvement processes, ensuring that data management, reporting, and research practices remain efficient, effective, and relevant.

• Brings external industry insights into the organization, leveraging this knowledge to inform and enhance WGU’s institutional research practices and strategic initiatives.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Provides visionary leadership and mentorship to the team, fostering a culture of collaboration, professional growth, and high performance.

• Leads recruitment and talent management efforts, ensuring the department attracts and retains top talent with a diverse range of skills and perspectives.

Strategic Planning & Vision:

• Collaborates with university leadership to define and articulate the strategic vision for the team, ensuring alignment with the university’s long-term goals.

• Leads the development and implementation of strategic plans for the department, setting clear objectives and timelines for both short-term and long-term initiatives.

Budget & Resource Management:

• Ensures effective budget utilization, implementing cost-saving measures without compromising the quality of research and reporting activities.

Risk Management & Compliance:

• Identifies and mitigates risks associated with data management, research activities, and regulatory compliance, ensuring all research adheres to ethical standards and institutional policies.

• Addresses compliance issues proactively, ensuring activities are conducted with the highest standards of integrity and responsibility.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expertise Data Analytics: In-depth understanding of institutional research methodologies, data analysis, and reporting practices in higher education settings.

• Artificial Intelligence: Knowledge of AI solution development such as large language models, machine learning applications, and natural language processing.

• Data Architecture: Familiarity with data architecture processes to facilitate data integration to meet related needs for analytics and other uses of integrated data.

• Product Management: Expertise in product management procedures and practices.

• Decision Intelligence: Knowledge of the decision intelligence paradigm and related systems.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing research involving human subjects, as well as accreditation standards and compliance requirements.

• Data Management: Proficiency in data governance, management practices, and tools for sourcing, compiling, and reporting institutional metrics.

• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to interpret complex data sets and generate actionable insights for institutional improvement.

• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, stakeholders, and external agencies.

• Project Management: Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously and meet deadlines.

• Collaboration: Ability to foster effective working relationships across various departments and with external organizations to promote data-informed decision-making.

Education        

Master's degree in social science, computer science, information technology, management information systems, statistics, business or higher education administration, or a related field with coursework in statistics and research methods or equivalent experience.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in relevant research and data analytics, with at least 5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.

• Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Tools Proficiency: Expert knowledge in business intelligence, including experience with reporting tools, data warehousing, and ETL processes. Proficiency in BI platforms such as Tableau, Power BI, or similar is essential. Experience in data visualization and analysis tools and reporting results through other solutions.

• Budget Management: Experience in budget management and resource allocation for research initiatives and departmental operations.

• People Management: Proven track record of at least 3 years of experience in managing and mentoring other managers, demonstrating strong leadership and team-building skills.

• Change Management: Proven expertise in leading change management initiatives, particularly within data systems or institutional processes. Demonstrated success in implementing and managing transformational projects, including effectively guiding teams through periods of change and adaptation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in a field with emphasis on research or higher education administration.

• Certificate in Decision Intelligence.

• Proven track record of managing external reporting requirements and submissions to funding entities and regulatory bodies.

Experience in lieu of education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements.  Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

#LI-ZARD

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

How to apply: apply online

Full-time Regular Positions (FT classification, standard working hours = 40)

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.