Executive Director of Institutional Research and Analytics

Job Title: Executive Director of Institutional Research and Analytics
Location: Georgia Gwinnett College
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 295801

About Us

Since our founding in 2005, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been dedicated to providing an exceptional educational experience to our students. At GGC, we believe that our students' success is our success, and we are committed to creating a culture that supports and uplifts them throughout their academic journey.

As a member of our faculty or staff, you will become part of a dedicated and passionate community of educators and professionals. Together, we work towards a common goal of empowering our students to achieve their full potential, both academically and personally. We take pride in our student body, which represents a multitude of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Whether you are involved in teaching or providing essential services, your contribution will make a significant impact on the lives of our students and the broader community.

In addition to our commitment to student success, we also value the well-being and professional growth of our employees. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, designed to support the needs of our faculty and staff. From competitive compensation to health and wellness programs, and professional development opportunities to work-life balance initiatives, we strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive and feel valued.

Located in the thriving community of Gwinnett County, GGC offers a rich cultural and social landscape that enhances the overall college experience. Our backdrop is a beautiful, modern 260-acre campus located just 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Our students and employees benefit from the close proximity to various local amenities, including shopping, dining, entertainment, and outdoor recreational opportunities. This vibrant community serves as an extension of our campus, providing a stimulating environment for personal and professional growth.

Join GGC and become part of a dynamic team that plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives and celebrating the achievements of our students. Together, let's make a positive impact and empower the next generation of leaders.

Job Summary

The Executive Director of Institutional Research and Analytics provides executive-level leadership for institutional research, analytics, and enterprise decision support functions. Reporting to the Vice President for Information Technology and Institutional Research, the Executive Director plays an essential role in aligning institutional data, analytics, and reporting with institutional mission and goals, including student success, strategic planning priorities, and operational effectiveness.

In partnership with Information Technology leadership and functional stakeholders, the Executive Director advances enterprise data strategy, analytics platforms, and data governance capabilities that support institutional priorities. The role promotes a strong culture of data literacy, responsible data use, and evidence-based decision-making, while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and University System of Georgia (USG) reporting requirements.

The Executive Director leads and develops a high-performing institutional research and analytics team, providing strategic direction, setting standards and priorities, fostering professional growth, and cultivating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for institutional research, analytics, and decision support aligned with mission and goals; partner with campus leaders to define, operationalize, and monitor institutional key performance indicators (KPIs) and strategic metrics.
• Serve as the institutional authority for official data, metrics, and analytics, ensuring consistent definitions, appropriate use, documentation, and audit readiness across the institution.
• Lead external reporting and required data submissions to federal, state, University System of Georgia (USG), and higher-education organizations, ensuring accuracy, consistency, timeliness, and compliance.
• Provide institutional leadership for enterprise data governance in partnership with Information Technology and functional leaders, including data standards, stewardship roles, data quality practices, access controls, privacy considerations, and records management lifecycle oversight.
• Provide functional leadership for modern data architecture, overseeing the design and implementation of scalable analytics platforms in collaboration with Information Technology to support institutional research, reporting, and decision-making.
• Direct the institutional reporting and analytics ecosystem, optimizing dashboards and visualizations, enabling scalable self-service analytics, and ensuring usability, consistency, and strategic alignment across standard platforms.
• Establish clear ownership and repeatable processes for data requests, reports, dashboards, and visualizations including intake, prioritization, requirements, validation, publication, and lifecycle management.
• As needed, oversee the design and execution of applied research and evaluation, including surveys, focus groups, benchmarking, and predictive analytics to inform strategic initiatives (e.g., enrollment management and student success).
• Lead and develop a high-performing IR and analytics team, setting standards and priorities, strengthening cross-campus partnerships, and promoting data literacy and responsible data use through training, consultation, and documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in education, data analytics, statistics, social sciences, public administration, or related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, analytics, or enterprise decision support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a related field.
• Experience working within the University System of Georgia or a comparable higher education system.
• Demonstrated experience implementing self-service analytics and enterprise data governance programs.
• Experience with predictive analytics and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong expertise in data governance, data quality, privacy, and compliance in a higher education environment.
• Advanced experience in extracting, integrating, and analyzing data from enterprise systems (student, HR, finance).
• Demonstrated expertise working with SQL-based data environments, statistical analysis tools (e.g., SAS, SPSS, R, Python), and data visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Experience overseeing the functional design and implementation of scalable analytics platforms such as data warehouse, data lake, or data lakehouse architectures.

Proposed Salary

94,900 - 120,900
Salary offer will be dependent on candidate's experience and qualifications, internal equity considerations, budget availability, and salary administration guidelines.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Knowledge of institutional research principles and practices in higher education, including analytics, reporting, and decision support.
• Knowledge of data governance, data stewardship, data quality, privacy, security, and responsible data use.
• Knowledge of higher education reporting requirements, including IPEDS and National Student Clearinghouse, and state or system reporting expectations.
• Knowledge of records management principles, records retention schedules, and information lifecycle governance.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to interpret and communicate data effectively to executive and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, training, and data storytelling skills.
• Ability to influence decision-making and build consensus across a variety of stakeholder groups.
• Effective project and change leadership skills.