Sr Institutional Rsrch Analyst

$63,815 - $95,723/Yr

University of Rochester - Rochester, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

Rochester, NY

Educational Services

About the position

The Senior Institutional Research Analyst will play a crucial role in ensuring data quality within the Office for Data Insights and Reporting (ODIR) at the University of Rochester. This position involves working under supervision to develop and implement data quality standards and protocols that guarantee the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of institutional data. The analyst will conduct comprehensive data quality analyses, testing, and validation, collaborating closely with University IT to collate, model, and interpret data. This role requires a keen understanding of data trends and variances, as well as the ability to identify and document enhancements to data modeling techniques and quality processes. The analyst will be responsible for solving complex problems and evaluating alternative approaches to existing solutions, ensuring that the data used for decision-making is of the highest quality. In this position, the analyst will develop and execute comprehensive data quality protocols, including the creation of detailed test plans and validation scripts. These scripts will be designed to validate data at various stages of the data pipeline, ensuring that all aspects of data quality—such as completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness, and validity—are thoroughly covered. The analyst will also maintain thorough documentation of all data quality efforts, creating an organized repository of test plans, validation scripts, test results, and identified issues. This documentation will be integrated with the ticketing system used by University IT to track and manage data quality issues effectively. The Senior Institutional Research Analyst will continuously monitor data pipelines for quality issues, performing regular audits to ensure compliance with ODIR standards. They will also assist with data analysis tasks, including the creation and maintenance of dashboards and reports using Tableau and other data science tools. This role requires strong communication skills to present complex statistical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, as well as the ability to cultivate productive relationships across the university. The analyst will need to employ strong active listening skills to understand underlying business problems and objectives, demonstrating a strong attention to detail and the ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes comprehensive data quality protocols, tests, and validation scripts to ensure ODIR data integrity, accuracy, and reliability.
• Designs detailed test plans and strategies for validating data at different stages of the data pipeline, including data intake, transformation, and storage.
• Ensures that test plans cover various aspects of data quality such as completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness, and validity.
• Writes and maintains automated scripts using SQL, Python, or R to validate data against quality rules and business logic, ensuring the scripts are efficient and reusable.
• Maintains thorough documentation of data quality efforts, creating an organized and accessible repository of test plans, validation scripts, test results, and identified issues.
• Ensures seamless integration with the ticketing system used by University IT to track and manage data quality issues.
• Continuously monitors data pipelines for quality issues and performs regular audits to ensure compliance with ODIR standards.
• Documents enhancements to data quality processes and techniques, developing and implementing mitigation strategies when appropriate.
• Assists with ODIR data analysis tasks, including creating and maintaining dashboards and writing reports.
• Uses Tableau and data science tools to present data in a clear and actionable manner.
• Maintains and organizes the ODIR workflow management utility.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required;
• Master's degree preferred;
• Course of study in Statistics, Mathematics, Information Science, Economics or related analytical field preferred.
• 5 years of relevant experience required;
• Experience working in a higher education setting preferred;
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience required;
• Experience with Tableau preferred;
• Experience with data warehousing tools, techniques and best practices preferred;
• Strong foundational experience in data quality analysis, including data analysis, database management, and a strong understanding of data structures and data modeling techniques required.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex statistical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders required.
• A consultative skillset including the ability to cultivate productive relationships with individuals across the university required.
• Ability to employ strong active listening skills and ask probing questions to thoroughly comprehend the underlying business problems, objectives, and constraints required.
• Strong attention to detail, ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems and strong critical thinking skills required.
• Strong analytical, qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills, with demonstrated ability to break down complex problems into phased deliverables required.
• Ability to work independently and successfully complete assigned tasks on time with limited oversight required.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with data warehousing tools, techniques and best practices preferred.
• Experience working in a higher education setting preferred.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Dental insurance coverage
• Vision insurance coverage
• 401k benefit for retirement savings plan
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Flexible scheduling options
• Professional development opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement for further education
• Employee discount programs
• Wellness programs