Associate Director of Data Science and Analytics - Penn State University Park

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• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR) seeks an Associate Director of Data Science and Analytics to help lead the Data Science team in the exploration of research questions that are fundamental to informing decisions regarding higher education policy, including, but not limited to, analyses involving student enrollment, persistence to graduation, student and faculty retention, and other critical initiatives. The Associate Director will work with other Data Science team members to make meaning of University data and contextualize the models for various audiences to use in institutional decision-making. Additionally, this position will support institutional research studies, Power BI dashboards, and ad hoc requests in support of the broader institutional research function of the office.  

The Associate Director will be responsible for the following:

• Serve as the primary backup to the Director, assuming leadership responsibilities in their absence to ensure continuity of leadership and oversee the team and projects

• Present insightful analysis findings and actionable recommendations to executive leadership, facilitating informed decision-making

• Collaborate with various internal clients (e.g., department heads, deans, directors, analysts) to understand their data and information needs

• Apply predictive and prescriptive analytics to institutional research questions

• Write SQL queries to clean and transform data into datasets ready for analysis

• Develop summaries, reports, dashboards, and recommendations to inform university-wide decision-making

• Develop and maintain detailed and accurate documentation of all projects

The location of this position is flexible and can operate fully remote within the United States, fully in-person at our University Park Campus, or in a hybrid model of both in-person and remote. Standard working hours are in the Eastern time zone.

Application instructions: Please submit both a cover letter and a resume.

Education and Experience:

Typically requires a Master's Degree or higher and six years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The successful candidate should have the following:

• 4+ years of experience in data analysis and data visualization

• Experience mentoring and leading a team

• Experience in summarizing and presenting analytic findings in ways that are accessible to non-technical audiences

• Analytical thinking with the ability to translate data into insights for an executive-level audience

• Experience working in Microsoft SQL server

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Knowledge of Power BI or other data visualization tool

• Prior experience with Higher Education data a plus, but not required

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

$86,300.00 - $129,500.00

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. 

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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