Executive Director, Institutional Research

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Job : 294936

Location: Columbus State University

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Office of the Provost

The Director of Institutional Research provides leadership and oversight for the Office of Institutional Research. This position ensures that decision‑making across academic and administrative units is grounded in accurate data, meaningful analysis, and a culture of continuous improvement. The director leads efforts to strengthen institutional effectiveness, accountability, and compliance with institutional and university system standards, and reports to the Chief Academic Strategy Officer.

• Advise senior leadership on trends, metrics, and insights to support evidence‑based planning, budgeting, and policy development.
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of institutional data for internal and external audiences, including state and federal agencies.
• Manage institutional dashboards, fact books, and performance metrics.
• Ensure data accuracy, integrity, and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with campus stakeholders to maintain data governance standards and protect institutional data assets.
• Ensure adherence to ethical and legal standards in data management and reporting.
• Partner with deans, department chairs, and directors to enhance data literacy and strengthen a culture of evidence‑based decision‑making.
• Provide training and consultation on data interpretation and institutional metrics.

• Master's degree in statistics, data science, public policy, or a related field.
• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research within a higher education environment.
• Experience working within a state university system and familiarity with state‑level performance or accountability reporting.
• Demonstrated management of data systems, and/or complex reporting functions.
• Proficiency with enterprise data systems (e.g., Banner, People Soft, Power BI).
• Strong analytical, communication, and project management skills.

• PhD in statistics, data science, public policy, or a related field.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing teams, data systems, and/or complex reporting functions.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, assessment, or effectiveness within higher education.

The proposed annualized salary range for this position is $100,000 – $122,013 and includes full benefits.

• Strategic and systems thinking.
• Collaborative leadership and communication.
• Ethical and responsible data stewardship.

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Rothlisberger, Hiring Manager, via email at .

The University System of Georgia is comprised of 25 institutions of higher education and learning and the System Office. The USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom, available online at https://.

• Excellence:
  Actively engaging outstanding methods in teaching, academic discovery, creative pursuits, student success, cultural enrichment and the overall campus community.
• Creativity:
  Pursuing distinction through inquiry and innovation, challenging convention and focusing on solutions.
• Engagement:
  Dynamic civic involvement and participation…