Director of Institutional Research

University of Louisiana, Lafayette•Lafayette, LA

About The Position

The Director of Institutional Research serves as a visionary, service-minded intelligence leader and trusted advisor to campus executives. The Director leads the transformation of institutional data into actionable, forward-looking insights that drive strategic growth, institutional effectiveness, as well as program, faculty, and student success. Grounded in a culture of collaborative service and relationship-building, this role bridges business intelligence with institutional strategy, fostering strong cross-functional partnerships, championing proactive decision-making, and navigating the evolving higher education landscape.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as informatics, statistical analysis, research methodology, social sciences, or a related field.
Three to five years of experience working in a university setting and using institutional data to support program improvement, faculty effectiveness, and student success.
Experience leading teams, managing budgets, coordinating multiple projects and reporting requirements, and effectively managing competing priorities and deadlines across university units.
Experience collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting institutional data.
Ability to translate complex data into clear, understandable information and provide actionable analysis to university stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree in a relevant field, such as informatics, statistical analysis, research methodology, social sciences, or a related field.
Experience with data analysis and reporting tools within higher education.

Responsibilities

Build trust-based, collaborative relationships across academic and administrative units, deans, and campus leaders to proactively identify data needs and deliver consultative insights.
Partner actively with IR offices across the UL System and external networks to benchmark innovative practices, harmonize data definitions, and champion collaborative higher education research.
Guide the synthesis, analysis, and compelling presentation of complex data into clear, actionable resources, reports, and high-impact special projects for executive leadership and campus stakeholders—translating raw metrics into meaningful strategic narratives.
Cultivate a customer-centric, accessible, and supportive environment within the Office of IR, positioning the team as a go-to partner for strategic problem-solving.
Chair and guide key governance groups, including the Data Governance Committee, Data Standards Committee, and work with data visualization experts to inspire shared data stewardship and collaborative decision-making. Serve as a member of the Data Governance Committee, as well as represent the Office of IR in meetings or committees for institutional reporting and data needs.
Shift institutional research from historical reporting to forward-thinking predictive modeling, trend forecasting, and scenario planning to anticipate institutional opportunities and risks.
Drive the expansion of modern data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) and interactive dashboards to empower campus stakeholders with self-service analytics and KPI tracking.
Oversee the IR website to ensure it serves as a dynamic, user-friendly hub for institutional intelligence; curate public-facing dashboards, fact books, accountability metrics, and strategic plan tracking; and maintain accessible resources that promote campus-wide data literacy.
Synthesize higher education trends, demographic shifts, and regional benchmarks to inform long-range strategic planning and enrollment strategies.
Design and lead campus-wide training programs, workshops, and user-friendly resources that empower faculty, staff, and leadership to effectively navigate analytics platforms (e.g., Tableau, Qualtrics, Ellucian Insight), interpret data accurately, and build confidence in data-informed decision-making.
Collaborate with the Enterprise Data Governance Planning Committee to establish modern data standards, ethical AI/data usage policies, and robust security controls. Ensure appropriate, ethical, and compliant use of data on behalf of the university. Embed the standard of ethical practice as defined by AIR.
Guide the continuous optimization of data pipelines, operational data storage systems, and analytics platforms to ensure seamless data delivery, both internally and with system partners.
Oversee the campus-wide scheduling, design, and administration of institutional surveys using enterprise tools (Qualtrics); enforce policy compliance, survey fatigue mitigation, and best practices; and govern the appropriate use of institutional distribution lists to safeguard data integrity and student/employee privacy.
Direct accurate and timely compliance reporting (Board of Regents, NCES/IPEDS, U.S. News, external rankings) and serve as the primary liaison for System-level shared resources. Coordinate campus data validation, subject-matter expertise, approvals and institutional context to ensure accurate and timely submissions.
Actively engage with regional and national professional associations (e.g., AIR, SAIR, LAIR) through conference attendance, network participation, and scholarly research to track emerging higher education trends, modern analytics methodologies, and advanced IR technologies—ensuring the university remains at the forefront of data-informed leadership.
Prioritize and manage data requests through clear intake criteria; track and communicate project milestones transparently to stakeholders; and foster a culture of continuous operational improvement.
Mentor and develop a modern, growth-oriented IR team, fostering a supportive, innovative, and continuous-learning workplace culture.
Strategically deploy financial and technological resources to maximize the impact of the IR office on campus priorities.