Assistant Vice President - Research & Institutional Effectiveness

SALARY:

POSITION TITLE:

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JOB DESCRIPTION:

PRIMARY DUTY:

The Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research & Effectiveness will champion data governance and integrity, lead external reporting, provide support for strategic decision making, deploy surveys on behalf of the university, engineer data visualizations and analysis, and lead data initiatives.

The AVP will transform data into meaningful insights that influence university strategic planning, accreditation, student success initiatives, operational performance, and executive decision-making. Working closely with senior leadership, you will help shape the University's future by providing reliable analytics, forecasting trends, measuring institutional performance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The AVP leads the data collection and presentation to support the University Accreditation process as well as state, federal and industry surveys.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Data Governance and Integrity
• Directs the collection, analysis, and interpretation of selected institutional data and develops systems for the dissemination of information to various stakeholders; Enhances internal and external reporting and analytical capabilities through improved data management that ensures data integrity.
• External Reporting
• Supervises the collection and documentation of activities to support the accreditation and assessment efforts of the University for institutional, state and national reporting.
• Ensures proactive data collection methodology in accordance with federal, state, and accrediting association requirements, standards, and trends;
• Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of the University’s responses to external data requests from governmental agencies and other associations, including but not limited to IPEDS, state surveys, accreditation, licensure requests, and other miscellaneous requests for information.
• Coordinates reaccreditation efforts associated with the Higher Learning Commission.
• Strategic Decision Support
• Pursues opportunities where strategic research can drive significant outcomes in doing so, serves all portfolios of the Northwest Leadership Team, coordinates overall reporting, and helps to shape data and information into strategic priorities and change needs.
• Survey and Assessment Administration
• Collaborate with Information Technology and Software Development to enhance reporting systems and institutional analytics.    
• Provides planning and analytical support and advice in areas of survey research, design, and analysis to support institutional assessment initiatives.
• Data Visualization and Analysis
• Employs data mining techniques to identify patterns and establish relationships that inform decisions and assist in forecasting;Leads the report writing function to translate information from various data sources delivering information to University stakeholders.
• Plans for and directs the creation of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual reports (university and departmental level) that include forward-looking, current, and historical University data for use by internal and/or external stakeholders.
• Oversees the creation and maintenance of the institutional key indicators system (dashboards/scorecards).
• Data Leadership
• Build strong partnerships across campus to understand emerging needs and promote evidence-based decision-making.
• Serve on University committees and contribute to institution-wide strategic initiatives.
• Supervise Institutional Effectiveness staff, provide leadership and professional development, and manage departmental operations and budgeting.
• Assists members of the Northwest Leadership Team with other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Master’s degree in related field

Certification/License: N/A     

Experience: Three years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, managing employees, assessment or data analytics in higher education.

Skills: Ability to work independently and to manage multiple projects; ability to analyze and interpret data; demonstrate supervisory skills; exceptional ability to communicate complex, technical data to non-technical stakeholders across campus; ability to relate to other administrative units and to network and collaborate; ability to participate in the facilitation of organizational change; familiarity with development learning concepts; ability to manage budgets; ability to read written instructions and follow procedures; ability to organize and manage processes.

Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R), data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and experience with enterprise systems (e.g., Banner, Workday).

WORKING CONDITIONS:

This position will work in an office environment during the typical hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break and the possibility of evening and weekend hours.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee office staff in the Institutional Research area

EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS USED:

Computers and general office equipment/software    

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Ability to lift up to 20 pounds

COMMUNITY:

Northwest Missouri State University located in Maryville, Missouri, a community of 12,000 with a diverse economy and a strong industrial base. Maryville is located 45 miles north of St. Joseph, Missouri, 90 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, and 110 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska. For more information visit the city’s website at www.maryville.org.

UNIVERSITY:

With an enrollment of more than 8,500 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their university experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 98 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data. 

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitive tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.

Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area,  a partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.

The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,900 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.