Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment

University Overview:

Since 1975, Sofia University has aspired to be a leader in transformative higher education offering students an education that transcends beyond a traditional learning environment. Students, staff, and faculty of Sofia are passionate individuals that recognize the need to be a part of something greater than themselves and seek opportunities that will provide them with the tools to empower themselves and their community. As Sofia continues to grow as a University, it remains committed to its transformative transpersonal values, as well as to maintaining a high\-quality and diverse workforce representative of the community it services.

Sofia University is Western Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) accredited and offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs in the fields of psychology, business, and computer science. Located in Palo Alto and Costa Mesa, California, the University provides both on campus and online programs, giving students the flexibility to further an education rooted in transformative and transpersonal values, in a format that best suits their schedule and needs. Sofia University is an equal opportunity employer.

Position Overview:

Under the direction of the CFO/VP of Administration, the position provides leadership and performs all necessary functions related to the collection, interpretation, and use of institutional data for planning, assessment, and decision making for Sofia University. The position is responsible for monitoring key institutional indicators, ensuring the integrity of data/information released in reports or studies, and providing data analysis, reporting, or research as needed to support institutional objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Establish, administer, and coordinate the University’s institutional research activities including collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting information on the characteristics of the University for use in decision making and planning
• Work closely with appropriate offices in research and statistical analysis that may be needed for various projects in areas such as human resources, curricula, instruction, payroll, facilities, or finance
• Provide necessary support for the University’s organizational effectiveness, planning, accreditation, evaluation, and program assessment activities
• Maintain and distribute data, studies, or research to support the planning efforts of the university using data visualization software; create and maintain internal and public data dashboards that are intuitive and user\-friendly
• Develop and implement processes for collecting, linking, and analyzing data from a variety of sources including internal systems, state and federal agencies, other higher education institutions, and employers
• Provide support and training in continuous quality improvement methods and the use/analysis of data related to effective practice of continuous quality improvement
• Lead and foster the development of data governance policies and procedures
• Provide education to staff and faculty on the data stewardship and integrity
• Ensure review and shaping of IR policies by staying abreast of the higher education landscape
• Collaborate with IT, Registrar’s Office, and other relevant offices to maintain administrative/student information database(s); updates and maintains system files, establishes, and maintains security and access information, ensures that backup copies of all files are routinely made and securely stored at a separate location, maintains system documentation
• Develop, administer, analyze, and reports on surveys that measure engagement, performance, and satisfaction for both students and employees
• Assist in the preparation, follow\-up, and reports for the university’s accreditation efforts and in the university’s efforts to secure grants, as appropriate
• Monitor the overall integrity of data, complying with state and federal requirements and taking appropriate steps to correct data discrepancies when noted
• Perform other related tasks as required by the CFO/VP Admin, President, and/or Provost.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in computer science, data processing, research methods, or related field
• Three to five years of related research and/or analysis experience (preferably in an educational setting), or combination of education and experience commensurate with the requirements of this position
• Expertise in using database software, mainframe applications, and/or statistical software; experience using SPSS or comparable software preferred
• Coursework or knowledge of research methods
• Experiences in preparation of comprehensive research reports and executive summaries that present complex or technical information in an easily understood fashion
• Expertise in relational database design and management and in major database package i.e., Microsoft PowerBI, Microsoft Excel
• Experience with higher education administrative/student information systems including technical understanding of data warehousing, data lake and data mining
• Familiarity with a variety of personal computer software and networking environments
• Experience with web survey software and/or applications such as Qualtrics, Evaluation Kit, SmartEval, and SurveyMonkey
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills, ability to translate technical data into plain and accessible language
• Strong organizational, time management and execution skills
• Ability to handle multiple projects and prioritize them effectively
• Must have exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and document review.

Sofia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self\-disclose by contacting the Human Resources Department at 888\-820\-1484 ext.10200\.

Pay: $70,500\.00 \- $74,000\.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you have experience working in Higher Education?

Work Location: Remote