Director of UVA Strategic Analysis, Office of the President

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of the President at the University of Virginia is establishing a strategic analysis team to support a comprehensive strategic planning process under President Beardsley’s leadership. This team will provide research, analysis, project management, and executive decision support for University strategic planning, presidential priorities, and strategic initiatives. The strategic planning process will assess UVA’s current state, engage broadly across the UVA community, gather and analyze stakeholder input, and establish a fully developed institutional strategic plan to guide implementation, evaluation, and progress monitoring across the University. The Director of Strategic Analysis will be a key leader for this team, collaborating with executives and strategic planning and analysis leaders across the University. The Director will lead a team of post-graduate and post-undergraduate fellows and student interns, ensuring the management of strategic planning workflows and timely project completion. They will interface with senior leadership to manage project needs, engage with stakeholders to scope projects, and ensure overall impact. The team will provide analytical support for the University strategic planning process and other complex presidential priority projects. The Director will also be responsible for conducting high-impact research, analyzing data, and providing insights for critical decisions, ensuring the team is conversant with the latest tools in data analysis and Generative AI for evidence-based decision-making.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Eight years of increasingly responsible experience.
3-5 years of experience in project management, analysis, corporate strategy or strategy consulting.
Experience with and understanding of successful collaborative problem-solving approaches in organizations.
Strong quantitative skills, including proficiency with statistical analysis and modeling.
Ability to apply logical thinking and structured problem-solving to business challenges.
Proficient in analytical tools and platforms (e.g., Excel, SQL, BI tools, financial modeling, forecasting techniques).
Excellent oral and written communication skills; proven ability to clearly articulate information in multiple forums to senior executive audiences.
Ability to handle sensitive issues while maintaining complete confidentiality; strong integrity and sound judgment about highly sensitive information and issues in a variety of settings, including ability to exercise appropriate discretion with highly confidential engagements.
High level of emotional intelligence, empathy, and collaboration.
Ability to interact with executive level administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders in a productive, positive and professional manner.
Leadership and management skills; ability to effectively lead in a matrix environment, provide coaching and development for members of a team, and create a highly positive and collaborative work climate.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred and may substitute for some experience.
Experience working in higher education or serving higher education clients a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership to the strategic analysis team, including post-graduate and post-undergraduate fellows and current UVA student interns.
Ensure management of strategic planning workflows and timely and effective completion of projects.
Interface with senior leadership to manage project needs.
Engage with stakeholders to scope projects and ensure overall impact.
Provide analytical support for the University strategic planning process and other complex, large presidential priority projects.
Conduct high-impact research, analyze data, and provide insights that inform critical decisions for the president and senior leaders.
Ensure the team is highly conversant with the latest tools in data analysis and Generative AI to drive evidence-based decision-making.
Ensure successful engagements in strategic planning, strategic initiative development, and business intelligence and special projects.
Manage project management of strategic planning work to ensure initiatives are planned, scoped, and evaluated effectively.
Develop briefings for executive leadership, background research and documents, and analyses required for strategic planning initiatives.
Develop high-impact briefings and presentations that translate complex data into polished, actionable insights for the President and senior leaders.
Act as a collaborative problem-solver and strong team leader in a matrix leadership environment.
Identify data needs, analysis plans, and work streams to support high-impact strategic thinking.
Analyze and interpret data/information to garner key insights and present information clearly, concisely, and in a polished manner.
Scope project requirements, gather extensive stakeholder input and engagement, conduct sophisticated analysis, engage with financial analyses, develop presentations for executive-level audiences, lead teams in a collaborative, matrix environment, and manage others.
Deal well with ambiguity, demonstrate flexibility with changing needs, and exhibit grace under pressure.
Engage with internal and external stakeholders to gather insights, feedback, and perspectives on strategic initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.