Director of Institutional Research

Dominican University Of California•San Rafael, CA

22h

About The Position

The Director of Institutional Research is a senior leadership position reporting directly to the Vice President, Finance and Administration. This role provides strategic data leadership to support institutional decision-making, planning, student success, and continuous improvement. The Director oversees the University’s data infrastructure and reporting strategy, ensuring high standards of data quality, transparency, and utility. As the IPEDS Keyholder and lead for external survey and compliance reporting, the Director manages submissions to federal, state, accrediting, and consortia agencies. The position leads institutional research initiatives, analytics development, data governance, automation efforts, and integration of data systems to support campus-wide planning and decision-making.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Higher Education, Social Science, or a related field.
Minimum of five years of experience in higher education with direct involvement in institutional research, assessment, effectiveness, or strategic data reporting.
Demonstrated expertise in survey administration, compliance reporting, and external data submissions, including IPEDS.
Proficiency with statistical software such as SPSS, R, or SAS; business intelligence tools such as Tableau or Power BI; and SQL.
Experience with relational databases, data warehousing, reporting automation, or related technical data infrastructure.
Experience managing data governance, strategic indicator tracking, and institutional dashboards.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex data clearly to diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree in a quantitative, higher education, or related discipline.
Experience managing a data warehouse and leading automated data workflows.
Familiarity with ERP systems such as Colleague, PowerCampus, or Workday, and planning platforms such as Prophix.
Experience presenting data insights to governing boards and executive leadership.
Successful track record of improving data reliability, reporting efficiency, and strategic resource planning.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement data strategies aligned with the University’s mission, strategic plan, and institutional priorities.
Advise senior leadership, faculty, and staff on key performance indicators, enrollment trends, and analytical insights.
Support strategic planning and institutional goal tracking through analytics, forecasting models, dashboards, and other decision-support tools.
Lead the Data Governance Committee and promote data integrity, accessibility, standardization, and cross-departmental coordination.
Identify measurable components of institutional strategic and annual goals and track progress toward objectives.
Support accreditation, program review, student learning assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives through data analysis, reporting, and consultation.
Provide training and support in continuous quality improvement practices and the effective use of institutional data.
Develop, document, and steward institutional data definitions, reporting standards, and governance practices in collaboration with campus partners.
Serve as the University’s IPEDS Keyholder and lead all external survey and compliance reporting, including but not limited to AAUP, AICCU, CDS, CIC, College Board, CUPA-HR, GSS-NSF, HEDS, HEERF, MEEI, NACUBO, NASAD, NCAA, NSC, NSSE, Peterson’s, San Francisco Business Times, Tuition Discounting Study, U.S. News & World Report, and others.
Oversee the calendar, data coordination, and quality control for more than 60 external surveys and compliance submissions annually.
Act as the University’s primary liaison for reporting and research activities with federal, state, accrediting, and consortial agencies.
Collect, analyze, interpret, and deliver data to support planning, budgeting, enrollment management, human resources, academic affairs, finance, and evaluation.
Collaborate with stakeholders to produce ad hoc analyses, recurring reports, and institutional dashboards across operational areas.
Create effective data visualizations, briefings, and presentations tailored to diverse audiences, including executive leadership and the Board of Trustees.
Develop and maintain the institutional data warehouse (e.g., DUDATA3), census files, and operational data stores.
Design, maintain, and oversee automation pipelines, including overnight data processes and workflows for course evaluation, activity pay, payroll, and enrollment projections.
Ensure continuity, backup, and integration of HR, payroll, student, and reporting systems, including platforms such as Paycom and Colleague.
Integrate reporting processes across platforms such as Colleague and Prophix to improve sustainability, efficiency, and scalability.
Participate in and support the implementation of new enterprise systems, including SIS and HRIS platforms.
Manage data remapping and validation processes to ensure accurate and consistent reporting across institutional systems.
Manage the Institutional Research office budget and supervise part-time staff and student research assistants.
Respond to ad hoc requests and institutional issues with analytical reports and tailored insights.
Serve as a central data resource in support of grant applications, marketing, accreditation, academic planning, and institutional strategy.
Collaborate with the Office of Information Technology and other departments to improve data integration, reporting systems, and data quality practices.
Maintain Fall and Spring census reporting on demographics, enrollment, retention, graduation, and employment outcomes for internal and external use.
Provide training and consultation to departments on data retrieval, query development, reporting logic, and report generation.
Determine project sequencing, scope, timelines, and deliverables for institutional research initiatives.
Promote a culture of data literacy, continuous learning, and effective data use across campus units.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Dominican University of California is committed to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement.
The University values diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages applications from candidates who share these commitments.
Dominican University of California is an independent, international, learner-centered university, offering both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Dominican has a 1:10 teacher-to-student ratio, an average class size of 16, with a small-town feeling in a park- like campus.
We blend interdisciplinary core courses, real-world studies, and small classes with close and supportive academic advising and mentoring.
Dominican University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity, and takes pride in its multicultural environment.
We are committed in thought, word, and deed to recruiting and retaining a workforce that values the diversity of its student body.
The University actively promotes an institutional culture that practices equity and inclusion.
We strongly encourage applications from members of all under-represented groups in higher education.
Dominican University of California participates in E-Verify, an online system used to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires in accordance with federal law.