Educational Researcher Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

About the Role

The Institutional Research and Assessment Officer serves as the University's primary resource for institutional research, academic assessment coordination, and institutional reporting. Reporting to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, this role provides data analysis, research, and assessment expertise that supports institutional planning, accreditation, student success, and continuous improvement.

The position develops and communicates reliable institutional data and analyses that enable evidence-based decision-making across the University. Working collaboratively with Academic Affairs and administrative units, the Institutional Research and Assessment Officer supports assessment of student learning, institutional reporting, accreditation activities, and academic program review while maintaining the integrity and consistency of institutional data reporting.

The role serves as a consultative resource rather than an operational owner, providing analytical support while functional leaders retain responsibility for strategic planning, operational execution, workforce management, and institutional decision-making.

Although administratively reporting to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Institutional Research & Assessment Officer serves as an institutional resource, providing objective data, analyses, and assessment support to academic and administrative leaders across the University.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Educational Research, Statistics, Educational Measurement, Public Administration, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Social Sciences, ora related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, assessment, institutional effectiveness, or higher education administration.
• Demonstrated experience using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Experience supporting institutional or programmatic accreditation activities.
• Knowledge of student learning outcomes assessment methodologies.
• Experience analyzing complex datasets and preparing reports for executive decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Research, Statistics, ora related discipline.
• Experience supporting regional and specialized accreditation processes.
• Experience preparing andsubmittingIPEDS and other higher education reporting requirements.
• Experience with assessment management systems and institutional reporting software.
• Experience using business intelligence and statistical software such as Power BI, Tableau, SPSS, SAS, R, SQL, or Python.
• Familiarity with higher education ERP or Student Information Systems.

Key Responsibilities

Institutional Research & Analysis

• Collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate institutional data related to enrollment, retention, graduation, student demographics, faculty workload, instructional activity, and institutional performance.
• Produce official institutional reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Conduct statistical analyses, benchmarking studies, environmental scans, and trend analyses to support institutional planning.
• Support enrollment forecasting and student success initiatives through predictive and descriptive data analysis.
• Coordinate institutional surveys and analyze survey results.
• Respond to institutional research requests from university leadership.

Academic Assessment Support

• Coordinate and support institutional assessment processes by providingmethodology, data analysis, reporting, and consultation.
• Assistacademic departments in developing measurable student learning outcomes and assessment plans.
• Support the collection and analysis of assessment data at the institutional, program, and course levels.
• Assist with academic program review through data collection and analysis.
• Monitor and report assessment findings to support continuous improvement.
• Promote effective assessment practices across the University.

Accreditation & Regulatory Reporting

• Coordinate institutional research and assessment documentation supporting regional accreditation.
• Assistacademic programs with data and assessment evidence for specialized accreditation.
• Prepare institutional reports and analysesrequiredforaccreditationself-studies.
• Coordinate the preparation and submission of required institutional reports, including IPEDS and other federal, state, and regulatory reporting requirements, including the coordination necessary with the departments that provide input for such reports.
• Maintain institutional documentation supporting compliance with accreditation standards

Decision Support & Institutional Intelligence

• Provide analytical support to executive leadership through data analysis and institutional research.
• Conduct program viability analyses, benchmarking studies, enrollment forecasting, and institutional trend analyses.
• Prepare annual institutional effectiveness reports.
• Support evidence-based planning by providing reliable institutional data and analyses.

Technology & Data Collaboration

• Utilize institutional research, reporting, and statistical software to support institutional analysis.
• Collaborate with Information Technology regarding institutional reporting systems, data availability, and reporting capabilities.
• Assist in validating institutional data used for official reporting.
• Support the effective use of institutional data while Information Technology retains responsibility for enterprise data governance and system administration.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Vice President of Academic Affairs by providing institutional research and assessment support for academic quality, accreditation, student learning outcomes, and program review.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Organizational Transformation by supplying institutional data and analyses that support strategic initiatives and organizational planning.
• Partner with the Vice President of Operational Excellence by providing operational metrics and analyses that support process improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Human Resources and Talent Strategy by providing institutional data and analyses, while Human Resourcesretainsresponsibility for workforce planning, talent analytics, and performance management.
• Coordinate with Information Technology to support institutional reporting capabilities while maintaining clear separation between institutional research and enterprise data governance.

Faculty & Staff Support

• Provide guidance to faculty and staff on institutional research methodologies and assessment practices.
• Conduct workshops and training related to student learning outcomes assessment and evidence-based decision-making.
• Assist departments in interpreting institutional data and assessment findings.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement through effective use of institutional evidence.

Skills Requirements

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret complex institutional data.
• Demonstrated expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Knowledge of higher education assessment practices, institutional effectiveness, and accreditation standards.
• Ability to communicate complex analytical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities with attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across academic and administrative units.
• High degree of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to data accuracy and confidentiality.
• Proficiency with statistical software, business intelligence tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Commitment to fostering evidence-based decision-making and continuous institutional improvement.