Executive Director of Institutional Research and Data Governance

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Daytona Beach, FL

22h

About The Position

The Executive Director of Institutional Research and Data Governance provides strategic leadership for the university’s data and analytics ecosystem, serving as the steward of institutional “source of truth” data. This role supports a diverse student population across multiple campuses and learning modalities and is responsible for identifying key stakeholders and their decision-support needs. Leads a high-performing Institutional Research team with approximately 15 full-time employees and additional support from graduate assistants and student employees. As this is a redefined position, the size of the office may increase overtime through consolidation across the university and/or the addition of new positions. Develops and implements university-wide data governance frameworks, policies, and standards to ensure data integrity, quality, and accessibility. This position plays a central role in advancing a data-informed culture by fostering collaboration across departments, promoting data literacy, and optimizing analytics tools and visualizations to empower decision-making.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Information Systems, Data Science, Public Policy/Administration, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, data governance, or related roles.
• Experience managing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data for compliance and strategic decision-making.
• Experience operationalizing data governance frameworks and managing data quality initiatives.
• Familiarity with Student Information Systems (PeopleSoft preferred), learning management systems, and CRM platforms.
• Familiarity or experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS).
• Knowledge of data governance platforms (e.g., Data Cookbook), data warehousing, and ETL processes.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field.
• Experience with multi-campus or multi-modal institutions.
• Relevant certifications such as CDMP or CDGP.
• Experience fostering a data-informed culture and leading organizational change initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Data Stewardship Lead the Office of Institutional Research in curating and maintaining official institutional data for internal and external reporting.
• Develop and implement a university-wide data governance framework, including data standards, definitions, policies, and escalation paths.
• Establish and lead governance teams composed of subject matter experts, IT and IR specialists, and data stewards in a matrixed model.
• Promote open communication and collaboration among data stakeholders to ensure consistency and shared understanding.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Team Leadership Build and maintain productive relationships across the university to assess data needs and support informed decision-making.
• Coach and train stakeholders on data usage, analysis, and visualization tools.
• Provide oversight and direction to survey, data, and focused research teams.
• Research, Analytics & Visualization Strategy Oversee the design and execution of university-wide and department-specific surveys, focus groups, and qualitative research.
• Employ applied research methods and predictive analytics to support strategic initiatives such as enrollment management and student success.
• Evaluate and optimize existing dashboards and visualizations and ensure university resources are used to support those with the best strategic alignment.
• Define ownership and processes for developing new visualizations, ensuring consistency and usability across platforms.
• Compliance & Reporting Manage timely and accurate submission of federal, state, and accreditation-related reports (e.g., IPEDS, Common Data Set).
• Prioritize and coordinate responses to external data requests and ensure compliance with institutional definitions and policies.
• Assessment, Accreditation & Program Review Collaborate with academic and administrative leaders to support assessment, program review, and accreditation efforts through data collection and analysis.
• Ensure alignment of institutional research and governance activities with accreditation standards and institutional effectiveness goals.
• Fostering a Data-Driven Culture Champion a centralized, user-friendly platform for accessing vetted university data and analytics.
• Develop a framework that ensures data is accurate and properly maintained (e.g., good data entry and upkeep that doesn’t rely on a user noticing something doesn’t look right).
• Promote a culture of data stewardship that ensures data governance guidelines are implemented and adhered to across the university so that data is reliable, accessible, and secure.
• Encourage the responsible, ethical, and informed use of university data to achieve strategic and operational goals.

Benefits

• Health Benefits: Experience comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with wellness programs that include preventive care and fitness memberships. Our flexible spending and health savings accounts simplify managing healthcare costs. Join a workplace that prioritizes your health—because your journey to wellness should be rewarding!
• Tuition Coverage: Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26.
• Retirement Contributions: ERAU contributes an annual 6% gift of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution, with no vesting period.
• Generous Time Off: Generous Time Off: Relax with 18 days of personal leave in your first year. Enjoy 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees