Research Data Analyst, Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarships, and Creative Endeavors

$70,000 - $70,000/Yr

The University of Texas System - Austin, TX

Part-time - Entry Level

Austin, TX

Educational Services

About the position

The Research Data Analyst position within the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarships, and Creative Endeavors at UT Austin is designed to enhance the analytics infrastructure supporting the university's research initiatives. The role involves developing high-quality reports and dashboards to visualize research funding trends and partnerships, thereby empowering strategic decision-making by OVPR leadership. The position requires collaboration within a small team focused on supporting the IT needs of the OVPR and university stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Query RIT-managed applications and databases; merge, clean, and prepare datasets for reporting.
• Support and deliver ad-hoc reports as requested by OVPR stakeholders and university-wide college/department-level units.
• Develop and support recurring reports for internal OVPR operations and external stakeholders.
• Create user-friendly, scalable dashboards and data visualizations in Power BI and Tableau.
• Contribute to a more automated and self-service analytics model by supporting the development of tools and processes that empower stakeholders to access and extract data and key metrics independently.
• Ensure dashboards provide actionable insights and are aligned with the needs of internal stakeholders and research office operations.
• Regularly review and update dashboards to enhance functionality, performance, and incorporate user feedback.
• Run recurring data integrity reports to continuously monitor and identify discrepancies in data quality issues in RIT-managed applications and databases, with an emphasis on grants data.
• Clean, organize, and validate data in RIT-managed applications and databases to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Work closely with OVPR units to develop and improve workflows.
• Recommend changes to existing workflows and practices to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.
• Back-up to RIT data team members as needed.
• Assist with design, planning, and implementation of high-importance data needs projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in data science, statistics, or a related discipline with 2 years' work experience with data visualization and interpretation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey findings and implications of report results.
• Demonstrated proficiency in SQL to query large databases.
• Working knowledge of scripting languages (R or Python) to manipulate and validate data, implement business logic, and conduct analysis.
• Working knowledge of databases, data flows, and data preparation techniques in both operational and analytical contexts.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining dashboards and reports using Power BI, Tableau, or similar business intelligence tools.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to positively contribute to collaborative team and thoughtfully and productively give and receive feedback.
• Proven prioritization and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving, documentation habits, and attention to detail.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with research administration in higher education administration, programming, or analysis.
• Familiarity with usability and user-centered design principles.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with tact and discretion.
• Familiarity with UT Austin's research administration environment.
• Knowledge of UT Austin and federal education law and policies related to confidential and sensitive records.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays