Director of Data Analytics
Indiana Wesleyan University•Indianapolis, IN
•Hybrid
About The Position
The Director of Data Analytics serves as the Strategic Lead for data-driven retention interventions and intervention science within National & Global. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Learner Success, this individual contributor role is responsible for transforming complex student data from the institutional data lake into validated, causal insights that directly improve persistence and completion outcomes for adult online learners. This position is distinguished by its focus on establishing causality in retention research. The Director applies advanced statistical approaches to move the division from descriptive dashboards to prescriptive, evidence-based action, functioning as the lead practitioner for "Actionable Analytics."
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Data Science, Business Analytics, Statistics, Quantitative Psychology, or a related quantitative field
- Five or more (5+) years of progressive experience in data science, institutional research, or student success analytics
- Proven track record of establishing causal relationships in educational or behavioral research
- Experience working with adult learner populations in online or distance learning environments
- Experience with CRM platforms (Salesforce Education Cloud strongly preferred)
- Expert-level proficiency in PSM, Survival Analysis, MLM, and SEM
- Advanced programming skills in R or Python for data manipulation and modeling
- Proficiency in SQL and experience querying large, complex educational databases/data lakes
- Strong ability to translate complex data into "Intelligence Briefs" for non-technical executive audiences
- According to Indiana Wesleyan University employment policy all employees must possess a strong Christian commitment and adhere to the standards outlined in the IWU Community Lifestyle Statement.
Nice To Haves
- Doctoral student (ABD - All But Dissertation) with a focus on causal inference, higher education research, or intervention science
Responsibilities
- Leads the application of "gold standard" statistical methodologies to establish the causal efficacy of retention interventions
- Designs and executes quasi-experimental studies using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to simulate randomized control trials
- Employs Survival Analysis (time-to-event modeling) to identify critical "danger zones" within the academic term where students are most likely to disengage
- Utilizes Multi-level Modeling (MLM) to distinguish between student-level factors and systemic programmatic issues
- Applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to map relationships between latent psychosocial variables and observed outcomes like GPA and course completion
- Serves as the primary author and strategist for the "Student Success Intelligence Brief," published every six weeks
- Translates complex statistical findings into clear, actionable steps for faculty and leadership across the DeVoe School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Service and Leadership
- Provides high-level, program-segmented analysis of retention trends and provides "Go/No-Go" recommendations for scaling pilot initiatives
- Operationalizes the integration of non-cognitive measures (Sense of Belonging, Academic Self-Efficacy, Help-Seeking Orientation) into the institutional data model
- Develops and validates proprietary predictive scales that combine traditional academic indicators with psychosocial factors
- Ensures that psychosocial triggers are embedded into CRM case records to enable targeted resource referrals by advisors
- Serves as the primary functional liaison to IT and Salesforce teams to access and integrate data from the institutional data lake
- Defines data requirements and validates data quality for the "Student Insights Agent" and other Agentic AI workflows
- Ensures that early alert thresholds and "Next Best Action" prompts in Salesforce are grounded in empirically validated retention science rather than arbitrary rules
- Benchmarks institutional retention outcomes against national standards for online adult learners (IPEDS, National Student Clearinghouse)
- Represents the institution at national conferences (e.g., EDUCAUSE, AIR) to contribute to the scholarly conversation on student success science
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
