Iowa STRONG Consortium Data Specialist

Hawkeye Community College•Hawkeye Community College Main Campus, IA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Hawkeye Community College is hiring a full-time, grant funded Iowa STRONG Consortium Data Specialist to join our team. This role puts you at the center of a genuinely statewide data system which you'll help build and standardize from the ground up across all 15 Iowa community colleges, rather than maintaining data for a single campus. You'll gain hands-on experience with large-scale participant tracking, federal performance reporting (PIRL/WIPS), and data governance frameworks that few positions offer at this scale, while directly shaping how the state demonstrates the real-world impact of workforce training on employment and wages. The work is highly visible and consequential: your data quality and analysis will inform program decisions, credential design, and sustainability planning for a program serving thousands of Iowans in high-demand fields. It's an excellent platform for growth into data leadership, institutional research, or workforce policy roles.

Requirements

Associates degree and 2 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience to total 4 years, in data management, data analytics, information systems, or related field.
Demonstrated strong data management, data analytics, or a related field experience with CRM data tracking systems and federal or state reporting requirements.
Familiarity with FERPA, data governance, or federal reporting requirements.
Demonstrated strong organizational skills with exceptional follow through and attention to detail.
Demonstrated experience working across multiple institutions or sites to standardize data collection and definitions.
Demonstrated experience training or supporting non-technical staff on data systems and processes.
Demonstrated ability to work with a wide array of students, faculty, staff, and the general public.
Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal communication.
Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, and video conferencing technology.
Demonstrated ability to execute organization and department policies and procedures.
Demonstrated ability to handle confidential/sensitive information with discretion.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience with Salesforce administration or configuration (building objects, workflows, dashboards, user permissions), not just data entry/use.
Demonstrated experience with federal or state performance reporting systems (e.g., PIRL, WIPS, WIOA-related reporting).
Familiarity with community college or higher education data systems.
Demonstrated experience with data visualization or reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or advanced Excel/Salesforce reporting).
Demonstrated experience supporting grant-funded programs or federal grant compliance and reporting cycles.
Familiarity with workforce development, labor market data, or wage record matching processes.

Responsibilities

Deploys, configures, and maintains the centralized participant-tracking system across all consortium colleges.
Standardizes data definitions and reporting protocols for credit and non-credit programs statewide.
Develops and delivers data training to consortium colleges alongside the Consortium Director.
Builds and manages a centralized reporting calendar and submission workflow for all sub-grantees.
Aggregates, validates, and quality-checks participant data each reporting cycle and leads quarterly data validation reviews.
Establishes and oversees participant file review/monitoring processes to support compliance and audit readiness.
Follows consortium data governance and confidentiality protocols established under the Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development data-sharing agreement, including FERPA compliance and secure handling of participant data.
Develops procedures for verifying credential attainment, employment outcomes, and measurable skill gains.
Supports PIRL/WIPS federal reporting requirements and coordinates with Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development on wage record matching and data-sharing agreements.
Supports data collection and reporting workflows tied to Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development wage record, National Student Clearinghouse, and State Wage Interchange System (SWIS) matching processes to help monitor participant employment and earnings outcomes.
Prepares data summaries and analysis to inform program and training modifications.
Produces reports for analysis of participant trends and performance, including cohort persistence, retention, completion, credential attainment, and employment outcomes using the participant-tracking system and other data resources.
Collaborates with the Consortium Director and program leaders across consortium colleges in the development of reports for analysis to improve outcomes and services to participants.
Works with consortium college representatives to design, create, implement, and maintain reporting capabilities and standards.
Works closely with technical and non-technical end users, gathering ad hoc reporting requirements, converting requirements into technical specifications, and training staff on how to produce and use reports.
Collaborates in the development of user materials (e.g. training handouts, field definitions, data dictionaries)
Participates in campus committees as assigned.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.