PRINCIPAL DATA ANALYST, Institutional Research

PRINCIPAL DATA ANALYST, Institutional Research

Boston University Information Services & Technology (IS&T) is seeking applicants with diverse skills and experience to join our innovative and inclusive community. Join us as a Principal Data Analyst where you will lead advanced analytics and deliver data-driven insights to support strategic decision-making across the university. You will design complex analyses, build visualizations, and partner with senior leaders on high-impact initiatives. As part of the Analytical Services & Institutional Research (AS&IR) team, you will report to the Director of Data Analytics and collaborate closely with academic and administrative stakeholders. This position is hybrid with 1-2 days per week in office.

You Will:

• Develop advanced statistical models, dashboards, and visualizations to inform institutional strategy.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership.
• Lead cross-functional analytics projects and mentor junior analysts.
• Partner with IT and data governance teams to improve data quality and reporting platforms.

Required Skills

You Will Have:

• Bachelor's degree
• 8+ years of experience in data analytics, institutional research, or related roles.
• Strong expertise in data modeling and visualization.
• Expertise in advanced analytics techniques like Bayesian generative modeling, machine learning for textual analysis, neural topic modeling, or vector embeddings.
• Familiarity with data extraction techniques including querying data lakes, building data pipelines, scraping web data, and pre-processing text.

Bonus Qualifications: If you do not meet these, you are still encouraged to apply; we value a willingness to learn.

• Experience in higher education analytics.
• Familiarity with data governance and enterprise reporting environments.

Boston University offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Time Off: In addition to PTO and leave policy, BU employees have a paid intersession break and 13 paid holidays.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 2 years of eligible service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive tuition assistance program for yourself and family members.