Chief Data Officer

New College of Florida•Sarasota, FL

12h

About The Position

The Chief Data Officer is responsible for campus-wide data strategy, governance, and quality. The role leads institutional efforts to maximize the value of the college’s data assets through analytics, reporting, automation, AI transformation, and improved data management practices. It establishes and oversees cross-functional data governance, including data definitions, stewardship, compliance, and quality standards, in partnership with campus data custodians. The CDO oversees Institutional Research and provides strategic guidance on institutional performance, state and federal reporting, and other metrics aligned with college priorities. The position works across departments to improve the student experience, support institutional decision-making, increase efficiency, and align data requests and reporting with the college’s goals and shared vision. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Data Science, Business Analytics, Computer Science, or a related field.
Demonstrated leadership experience, including the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and work effectively with executive leadership, technical teams, and business-area data owners.
Strong knowledge of data management principles, including data definitions, data quality, data stewardship, data security, regulatory compliance, and responsible use of institutional data.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in data analytics, statistical modeling, machine learning models, and data science functions.
At least 5 years of experience with Python, R, and SQL.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present complex data clearly and concisely.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, preferably within a public university or college environment.
Knowledge of Performance Based Funding, accountability metrics, accreditation reporting, and other state or federal performance measures applicable to higher education.
Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and improving data literacy across functional areas.
Relevant professional certifications in data management, analytics, cloud technologies, database administration, data governance, or related areas.
Experience with business intelligence and visualization tools.

Responsibilities

Identify high-value data initiatives and execute plans to maximize the value of the college’s data assets.
Manage analysis projects that improve student experiences, generate key insights, and achieve better outcomes using institutional data.
Develop policies and processes to automate routine data requests and improve efficiency and data use, including the use of AI tools and modeling where applicable.
Monitor and advise performance assessment through Performance Based Funding and other state and federal metrics.
Improve data definitions, data lineage documentation, and metadata guidelines for applicable business processes.
Ensure data is handled in compliance with pertinent laws, rules, policies, and regulations.
Create a cross-departmental Data Governance Council featuring leads from Admissions, Academics, and IT to manage compliance, data definitions, and state and federal standards.
Supervise Institutional Research to maximize cross-departmental insights and align data requests and reporting with college goals and shared vision.
Meet regularly with campus data custodians to support their roles, improve efficiency within and between offices, and identify and resolve data quality issues.
Perform other duties as assigned.