Senior Research and Data Analyst, Institutional Research

Senior Research and Data Analyst, Institutional Research Position Summary

The Senior Research and Data Analyst is responsible for leading complex institutional research, analytics, and reporting activities that support planning, accountability, and decision‑making across the Polytechnic. The role applies advanced professional knowledge and judgment to design and execute research and analytical work, interpret complex and ambiguous data, and provide evidence‑based advice to senior leadership. The Senior Research and Data Analyst serves a strategic and technical role in advancing data‑informed decision‑making at RDP.

The position contributes to the effectiveness of institutional programs, services, and operations through the development and application of advanced analytical methods and enterprise‑level data solutions. By translating complex data into actionable insights, the data analyst supports institutional planning, strategic enrolment management, revenue generation, and operational effectiveness. The role also leads cross‑departmental consultations, advises on data definitions and policy implications, and delivers training on data tools and literacy to support organization‑wide data literacy.

The role also leads the implementation of data governance practices and serves as a Data Steward, ensuring the quality, consistency, and appropriate use of institutional data in alignment with established policies and frameworks.

• Designs and leads complex research and analytical projects addressing novel and non‑routine institutional questions.
• Applies advanced statistical, exploratory, and predictive analytical techniques.
• Interprets incomplete, conflicting, or ambiguous data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Synthesizes findings into defensible analyses and recommendations that inform planning, funding, and performance evaluation.
• Establishes and applies appropriate metrics for program review, service review, and institutional performance monitoring.

• Leads the development and design of high‑impact institutional reports, dashboards, and analytical products to support evidence‑informed decision making.
• Ensures accuracy, reliability, and methodological transparency of data used for external reporting, funding, and accountability purposes.
• Documents analytical assumptions, methodologies, and limitations for senior review.
• Presents and explains findings to senior leadership, committees, and institutional stakeholders.
• Collaborates with other departments across the institution to support internal and external data analytics and reporting.
• Designs and leads complex, exploratory analytical projects to address novel institutional questions, developing and applying appropriate statistical methods.
• Prepares and validates data for mandatory government reporting, funding applications, and accreditation requirements.

• Provides senior‑level analytical and technical leadership in the design, testing, and optimization of enterprise data environments (e.g., data warehouse, lakehouse, analytics platforms).
• Collaborates with IT and data engineering resources to develop and maintain data models, pipelines, and reporting structures.
• Acts as a subject‑matter expert and steward for institutional analytics tools and environments.
• Evaluates and pilots emerging analytical tools and methodologies to improve institutional analytics capability.
• Troubleshoots and implements enhancements in data and reporting systems.
• Manages specific Student Information System tables and forms required for internal and external reporting.
• Provides leadership in identifying data integrity issues and proposing solutions and corrections.
• Ensures ongoing data validation, quality assurance, and error resolution across enterprise data systems.

• Leads institution‑wide research initiatives that address complex, emerging questions related to learner pathways, program outcomes, organizational performance, and strategic priorities.
• Establishes the research…