Position Title:Director Institutional Research
Job Group:Professional & Scientific
Required Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor's degree and 8 years of related experience
Preferred Qualifications:Master's degree in educational research, statistics, or related field; a Doctorate is preferred
Experience in higher education administration
Previous experience using Workday systems
Prior supervisory experience of research staff and/or analysts
Experience using national-level datasets such as IPEDS
Job Description:
Summary
Iowa State University, one of the nation's leading public research universities, is accepting applications for the position of Director Institutional Research. The Director will provide strategic leadership, effective management, and expertise related to institutional research, analysis, data infrastructure, data governance, compliance, and reporting. This role serves as the University's Chief Institutional Research Officer and as a university-wide leader and advocate for issues related to data analysis, standards, and governance. This position has a leadership role in building culture among administrators, faculty, and staff in the use of data to improve the quality of institutional decision making.
Reporting to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, the director manages staff who provide data analysis, interpretation of analysis, and preparation of reports for both internal and external audiences. This role will work closely with university leaders across campus to develop and implement the vision for the Office of Institutional Research.
The successful candidate will be an experienced professional with a commitment to and understanding of the academic mission. They will possess strong leadership, strategic, and analytical skills to build relationships and navigate change management. The director needs to possess excellent communication skills to provide timely and relevant information and analysis to administrators and other stakeholders. A technical expertise in data-gathering, reporting tools analytical capacities in statistics and survey research is vital.
Example of Duties
Lead the assessment of institutional effectiveness and outcomes for the university
Conceive of and conduct data review and analysis on emerging issues and design appropriate methods for timely dissemination of findings
Develop robust and active partnerships with other major campus analytic units and data owners, particularly the Enrollment Research and Analytics Team, the Reporting Team in Information Technology Services, and partners in the Division of Student Affairs and in the Division of Operations and Finance
Oversee and coordinate standard reporting functions and analyses including the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS, the State of Iowa, the Board of Regents, and accrediting agencies
Serve as a thought partner to colleagues across the university, helping colleges and administrative units define and execute analyses on unit-level business questions
Oversee survey responses, analysis of affiliated organization metrics, peer data analyses, and internal data analyses in support of academic goals, such as faculty salary competitiveness, faculty productivity, and faculty composition
Serve as the university's point of contact regarding institutional rankings, the Director will understand and interpret ranking systems, and provide data as appropriate to administrators, faculty, and staff coordinating application processes.
Supervise and develop staff as well as continuing to build a network of data analysts from across the university to encourage sharing of best practices.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship.
For more information about our office, please click the link below:
Institutional Research (https://www.ir.iastate.edu/)
Level Guidelines- May provide input into the strategic planning process- Operationalizes annual goals and objectives from strategic plan with department(s) to develop annual departmental objective and action plans- Develops and recommends institution policy within area of functional or operational expertise- Scope of influence may be a function, a large sub function, or multiple sub functions- Manages staff and sets priorities for department(s)- Typically has sufficient staff to have multiple Managers or Supervisors as direct reports- Has full management responsibility for direct reports, specifically the authority to hire, fire, and counsel- Understands key drivers of financial performance for operational areas- Provides substantial input to the budgeting process- Responsible for budgetary decisions according to guidelines within functional area- Recommends financial decisions that impact area of responsibility
Appointment Type:Regular
Number of Months Employed Per Year:12 Month Work Period
Time Type:Full time
Pay Grade:PS813
Application Instructions:
To apply for this position, please click on "Apply" and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please Note: To receive full consideration, applications should be received by August 10, 2025.If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.Why Choose ISU?Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:- Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans- Generous vacation, holiday and sick time and leave plans- Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)- Life insurance and long-term disability- Flexible Spending Accounts- Various voluntary benefits and discounts- Employee Assistance Program- Wellbeing program
Original Posting Date: July 28, 2025
Posting Close Date:
Job Requisition Number:R17493
By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State University (http://www.iastate.edu/) attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference. With a comprehensive?land-grant?mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world. And through Innovate at Iowa State, we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.
Iowa State University is a welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university's Principles of Community (https://www.iastate.edu/principles-community) . Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.
All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university's verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.
If you have questions about the application process please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485. Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email employment@iastate.edu or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942.
General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources (https://www.hr.iastate.edu/careers/compensation) website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.
