Strategic Leader – Data & Analytics, Associate Director

Strategic Leader – Data & Analytics, Associate Director

The Strategic Leader (SL) is a strategic advisor to higher education institutions using EAB's Data and Analytics technologies. This role is designed for individuals who understand how colleges and universities use data to inform institutional strategy, improve decision-making, measure outcomes, and drive organizational change.

Successful candidates will bring meaningful experience working within or alongside higher education, ideally in Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, institutional analytics, data strategy, or a related function. They understand both the opportunities and challenges institutions face when attempting to make data more accessible, trusted, and actionable across campus.

As the primary strategic partner for institutions leveraging Edify, EAB's data and analytics platform, the SL helps institutional leaders translate their priorities into data, analytics, and organizational strategies. This requires more than technical knowledge. SLs must be able to navigate institutional culture, engage stakeholders across functional and leadership levels, facilitate difficult conversations, and help institutions change how they use data.

In this role, the SL will:

• Serve as a Higher Education Data Advisor:
  Build trusted relationships with institutional leaders by bringing a strong understanding of higher education data, reporting, analytics, and decision-making practices.
• Translate Institutional Priorities into Data Strategy:
  Understand an institution's strategic goals, data environment, reporting needs, and organizational challenges, then help leaders identify practical opportunities to strengthen their use of data.
• Guide Institutional Change:
  Help institutions move from technology implementation to meaningful adoption by developing stakeholder engagement, governance, communication, and change management strategies.
• Connect Data to Institutional Outcomes:
  Help partners use data to answer important institutional questions related to areas such as enrollment, student success, academic performance, financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and institutional strategy.
• Drive Adoption and Value:
  Ensure institutions are realizing measurable value from EAB's technology and services by establishing priorities, monitoring progress, identifying barriers, and recommending next steps.
• Navigate Complex Stakeholder Environments:
  Work effectively with institutional executives, Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness leaders, IT and data teams, functional leaders, analysts, and other campus stakeholders.
• Identify Opportunities for Greater Impact:
  Recognize opportunities for additional services, capabilities, training, or EAB solutions that can advance an institution's strategic priorities.
• Represent the Voice of the Institution:
  Collaborate across EAB's Customer Success, Product, Engineering, Services, and Sales teams to advocate for institutional needs and inform the continued evolution of our solutions.

The ideal candidate combines deep knowledge of higher education with strong data fluency, consultative problem-solving, executive communication, and change leadership. They are comfortable discussing both the technical realities of institutional data and the organizational dynamics that determine whether data initiatives ultimately succeed.

This position may be based in Washington, DC or Richmond, VA

Primary Responsibilities:

• Institutional Data Strategy and Advisory
• Driving Institutional Impact and Change
• Driving Partnership Value and Growth

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• 5+ years of professional experience in higher education data, analytics, Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, or a closely related field.
• Experience translating institutional data, reporting, or analysis into clear recommendations for campus leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives, facilitate executive-level discussions, and build alignment across diverse institutional stakeholders.
• Strong consultative problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and support organizational change in complex higher education environments.
• Willingness to travel 10-25% domestically and a valid driver's license.

Ideal

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in higher education administration, Institutional Research, analytics, or a related field.
• Direct experience in Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, institutional analytics, decision support, or a related higher education data function.
• Strong understanding of higher education data and reporting, with experience in areas such as assessment, accreditation, external reporting, data governance, analytics, or decision support.
• Experience with data warehouses, reporting tools, dashboards, or enterprise higher education systems.
• Ability to connect data strategy and analytics work to institutional outcomes and strategic priorities.
• Commitment to embracing a continual learning…