Assistant Director of Institutional Research

at  San Francisco Bay University

San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), a nonprofit, WASC-accredited, university situated in the heart of Silicon Valley in Fremont, California, seeks an innovative and experienced ESL Student Academic Support Specialist. SFBU’s mission is to offer inclusive, innovative, and inspirational education for lifelong careers and our vision is to set the standard as a national model of higher education in service of the common good.
At SFBU, students come first. We prioritize students’ needs by fostering personal engagement among students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to providing affordable quality education with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. We encourage you to learn more about SFBU by reviewing our strategic plan at https://www.sfbu.edu/strategic-plan.
Position Summary:
The Assistant Director of Institutional Research plays a key role in the Institutional Effectiveness unit, providing crucial data and analytical insights to support university leadership. In this position, you will assist in guiding data-driven decision-making, strategic planning, and policy formulation while ensuring the highest standards of data integrity. You will support the daily operations of the Institutional Effectiveness team, contributing to efforts in enrollment, student learning assessment, program evaluation, and accreditation processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead data collection and analysis to aid decision-making, strategic planning, and policy development.
• Ensure data integrity, manage institutional statistics, interpret trends, and provide insights to enhance institutional effectiveness.
• Collaborate with various departments to support core institutional functions such as enrollment, accreditation, and program evaluation, requiring strong analytical skills and effective communication of complex information.
• Maintain and distribute standard and ad hoc reports through advanced data visualization platforms such as Tableau and Salesforce to meet the university’s strategic and operational needs.
• Promote a proactive approach to cross-departmental collaboration, using keen analytical acumen to convey complex data in actionable terms for supporting key university functions, including but not limited to enrollment management, faculty administration, and student success initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years in research design, data collection and retrieval, statistical analysis, reporting, IT project management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1+ years of experience managing professional and/or support staff.
• Strong leadership, project management, and communication abilities are crucial for collaborating across departments and presenting findings effectively. Additionally, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills are vital for supporting institutional planning and decision-making processes.
• Deep understanding of higher education policies, accreditation standards, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with IPEDS and accreditation standards is a must.
• Expertise in database retrieval (e.g., using SQL with Tableau, Oracle, or MSSQL, Power BI reporting environments); database management, structure, and programming.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to translate and present complex information into non-technical analyses and recommendations.
• Proven knowledge and application of dashboard design concepts.
• Strong analytical skills and experience in visualizing and analyzing metrics, survey results, and trends.
• Ability to develop effective business relationships and build consensus.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines while maintaining a high level of professionalism and exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proficiency in quality data collection to ensure adequacy, accuracy, and legitimacy of data in university systems and adherence to data privacy and security procedures.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Business, or a related field, or a Doctoral Degree in these fields.
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience with data warehousing/reporting in a higher education setting.
• Certificate in data visualization.
• Experience with Tableau Server administrative tools and extract automation.
• Advanced knowledge of databases and data management with proficiency in ad hoc reporting/query writing and data manipulation (with SQL, Tableau, OBIEE, Power BI, etc.).
• Skill with statistical packages (e.g., R or SPSS).
• Ability to interact with all levels of personnel, students, faculty, and the public.
• Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with difficult issues and/or diverse organizations.
• Ability to evaluate and implement technological improvements to meet best practices.
• Familiarity with version control and in-depth knowledge of student data structures.

Salary Range: $85,000 - $100,000 based on experience

• Lead data collection and analysis to aid decision-making, strategic planning, and policy development.
• Ensure data integrity, manage institutional statistics, interpret trends, and provide insights to enhance institutional effectiveness.
• Collaborate with various departments to support core institutional functions such as enrollment, accreditation, and program evaluation, requiring strong analytical skills and effective communication of complex information.
• Maintain and distribute standard and ad hoc reports through advanced data visualization platforms such as Tableau and Salesforce to meet the university’s strategic and operational needs.
• Promote a proactive approach to cross-departmental collaboration, using keen analytical acumen to convey complex data in actionable terms for supporting key university functions, including but not limited to enrollment management, faculty administration, and student success initiatives