Executive Director of Institutional Research and Planning

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Student Development, the Executive Director of Institutional Research and Planning provides strategic leadership and vision for the College's institutional effectiveness, research, planning, and accreditation functions. This position supervises the Director of Institutional Research and strengthens the College's capacity for data-informed decision-making by:

* Delivering advanced analytics to guide enrollment management, retention, completion, and workforce outcomes.

* Supporting academic program development, budgeting, and resource allocation through high-quality research and analysis.

* Ensuring compliance with state, federal, and accreditation reporting requirements, including performance-based funding metrics.

* Leading continuous improvement processes that enhance institutional effectiveness and accountability.

* Identifying, developing, and overseeing data dashboards and decision-support tools that enable timely action on emerging enrollment trends and barriers to student success.

The Executive Director utilizes a wide range of research, statistical, and planning methodologies to manage the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information that advances the College's mission.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Institutional Research and Analytics

* Oversees the collection, analysis, and interpretation of institutional data to support planning, policy development, decision-making, and assessment.

* Collaborates with faculty, staff, and administrators to select survey tools, develop survey instruments, determine statistically valid samples, and conduct descriptive and inferential analyses.

* Identifies and collects data from targeted populations to support new program proposals, scheduling, recruitment, and other strategic initiatives.

* Collects and maintains service-area data on economic conditions, population characteristics, and labor-market trends.

* Develops and monitors key performance indicators related to student success, enrollment, retention, transfer, and academic performance.

* Provides the President, Cabinet, and other stakeholders with analytical reports, trend analyses, visualizations, and decision-support tools.

Data Dashboards and Decision-Support Systems

* Leads the identification, design, and implementation of interactive data dashboards that provide real-time or near-real-time insights into enrollment, retention, course success, and other critical metrics.

* Ensures dashboards are actionable, user-friendly, and aligned with institutional priorities, enabling early detection of enrollment shifts or student-success barriers.

* Collaborates with appropriate campus stakeholders to maintain data integrity, automate data flows, and expand dashboard functionality over time.

Planning and Assessment

* Oversees the College's assessment and planning processes, ensuring timely completion and high quality of annual plans across all units.

* Co-chairs the Program Review Committee and leads the three-year review cycle for all two-year degree programs.

* Chairs the WCC Planning Committee and leads the three-year review cycle of all administrative planning units.

* Supports environmental scanning, preliminary planning activities, and ongoing training for planning unit heads.

* Promotes a culture of evidence, continuous improvement, and readiness for accreditation review.

Accreditation Leadership

* Serves as the College's liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

* Maintains current knowledge of SACSCOC standards, policies, and substantive change requirements.

* Provides technical guidance to faculty and staff on accreditation matters.

* Leads preparation for the 5th-Year Interim Report/Review and the decennial Reaffirmation of Accreditation.

Performance Measures and Compliance

* Provides leadership and strategy to improve the College's results on the NCCCS Performance Measures Report.

* Ensures compliance with state, federal, and system-level reporting requirements.

Knowledge of

* Local, state, and national community college issues.

* Program and institutional accreditation processes and criteria.

* Research design, data analysis, and statistical methods.

* Strategic and operational planning principles.

* Assessment models and measurement tools in higher education.

* Data warehousing, management information systems, and dashboard development best practices.

College-Wide Expectations

WCC places a high value on creating an engaged, collaborative campus environment; therefore, employees are required to complete their work hours in person on WCC's campus. By working on campus and in person, employees have greater opportunities to engage with students and co-workers, attend on-site meetings and presentations, recruit students, and support local business and industry partners.

* Communicates clearly and frequently in writing and speaking to ensure consistency of purpose and vision.

* Works collaboratively with all members of the college…