Executive Director of Institutional Research and Data Governance

#

Job Description
** Embry-Riddle: A Global Leader in Aviation and Aerospace
** With vibrant campuses in Daytona Beach, FL, and Prescott, AZ—along with a Worldwide network spanning roughly 120 global locations—Embry-Riddle proudly stands as the world’s largest aviation and aerospace university. Now celebrating our 100th year, we continue to lead innovation in STEM education, serving more than 30,000 students worldwide. Our cutting-edge programs in Applied Science, Aviation, Business, Technology, Engineering, Safety, Security, and Space prepare the next generation of leaders shaping the future of flight and beyond.

** Position Summary
** 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.
** Key Responsibilities & Oversight
**** 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…