Posting DetailsPosition Information
Position Number 013705
Functional Title Associate Director for Institutional Research and Enterprise Data Governance
Position Type Staff
Position Eclass EP - EHRA 12 mo leave earning
Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit The primary purpose of Institutional Research and Enterprise Data Management (IREDM) is to provide accurate, reliable, governed, and accessible data, analytics, and insights that support institutional decision-making, compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement. IREDM integrates institutional research, reporting and visualization, data engineering and architecture, and enterprise data governance to ensure that the University's data ecosystem is aligned with strategic priorities, regulatory requirements, institutional standards, and best practices in higher education data management. Through collaboration with academic and administrative partners, IREDM promotes a culture of data-informed decision-making, transparency, shared accountability, and responsible data use across the institution. The Surveys, Research, and Analytics (SRA) function serves as the University's central resource for institutional research, external reporting, and survey coordination. SRA is responsible for managing state, federal, and external reporting requirements; administering national and system-level surveys; and conducting applied research that examines student success, faculty and staff outcomes, enrollment trends, and institutional effectiveness. The Enterprise Data Governance (EDG) function supports the development, maintenance, and adoption of institutional data standards, definitions, stewardship/trustee practices, data quality processes, and governance workflows. EDG works with data owners, technical teams, and campus stakeholders to promote consistent data interpretation, improve trust in institutional data, and support responsible access to and use of University data. Together, these functions ensure that official institutional data are accurate, consistent, well-defined, appropriately governed, and useful for planning, assessment, compliance, operational decision-making, and strategic initiatives across the campus.
Position Summary The Associate Director of Institutional Research and Enterprise Data Governance provides leadership for the University's traditional institutional research, external reporting, survey, applied analytics, and enterprise data governance functions. This role oversees the Surveys, Research, and Analytics and Enterprise Data Governance functions within IREDM. The position is responsible for managing state, federal, and external reporting; coordinating major institutional surveys; leading and contributing to applied research and analytical studies; and advancing enterprise data governance practices related to data stewardship, institutional definitions, data quality, data cataloging, governance workflows, and responsible data use.
In addition to supervising professional staff, the Associate Director serves as a working manager who actively contributes to complex institutional research projects, reporting efforts, survey submissions, analytical studies, and governance initiatives. The position plays a key role in translating institutional data into meaningful insights for campus leadership, academic units, administrative units, and external stakeholders, while also ensuring that institutional data are consistently defined, well-governed, and aligned with University standards. This role collaborates closely with Reporting and Visualization, Data Engineering and Architecture, campus data stewards, and functional data owners to support a coordinated institutional data ecosystem that balances access, usability, compliance, quality, and accountability. This position is eligible for teleworking; however, some in-person assignments may be necessary at the supervisor's discretion.
Minimum Qualifications - Mid-career with Masters and one (1) - two (2) years experience; OR Bachelors and two (2) - four (4) years experience; OR The equivalent combination of education and experience.
Additional Required Certifications, Licensures, and CertificatesPreferred Qualifications - Master's degree in Statistics, Institutional Research, Higher Education, Data Analytics, Social Science, Information Systems, Public Administration, or a related field and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, higher education analytics, enterprise data governance, data management, or a comparable data-driven environment; OR Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Institutional Research, Higher Education, Data Analytics, Social Science, Information Systems, Public Administration, or a related field and at least seven years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, higher education analytics, enterprise data governance, data management, or a comparable data-driven environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing professional staff, teams, projects, or cross-functional initiatives, including responsibility for setting priorities, coordinating work, monitoring progress, and ensuring completion of deliverables.
- Advanced knowledge of higher education data standards, institutional definitions, external reporting requirements, and institutional effectiveness practices, including experience with reporting such as IPEDS, Common Data Set, and system-level submissions.
- Strong analytical background, including experience with applied quantitative research methods, statistical analysis, data validation, and interpretation of complex data.
- Demonstrated understanding of data governance concepts, including data stewardship, data definitions, data quality, data standards, documentation, data access, and responsible data use.
- Proficiency in SAS, SQL, or comparable data query and analysis tools.
- Experience with data visualization or business intelligence tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex findings, methodologies, and governance concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively with academic, administrative, technical, and executive stakeholders.
- Experience working with UNC System Office data, including Student, HR, Finance, or other system-level data marts.
- Experience conducting ROI, outcomes, policy-focused, student success, workforce, or program effectiveness research studies.
- Experience with data governance platforms, data cataloging tools, data dictionaries, business glossaries, data quality tools, or stewardship workflows.
- Familiarity with tools such as Data Cookbook, IDataHub, Microsoft Power BI, Azure Data Lake, Databricks, or similar enterprise data platforms.
- Experience developing documentation, training materials, governance processes, or communication strategies that support responsible institutional data use.
- Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) certification or comparable professional certification related to data governance, data management, analytics, or institutional research.
Special Instructions to ApplicantsRecruitment Range Salary commensurate with experience
Org #-Department Inst Research/Entr Data Mgmt - 10803
Job Open Date 08/18/2026
For Best Consideration DateJob Close DateOpen Until Filled Yes
FTE 1.000
Type of Appointment Permanent
If time-limited, please specify end date for appointment.Number of Months per Year 12
FLSA Exempt
