The University of British Columbia

Associate Director

Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years of leadership experience in institutional research or analytics.
  • Expertise in data analysis, reporting methodologies, and statistical techniques.
  • Strong understanding of higher education data management and institutional accountability processes.
  • Proven track record of strategic planning and policy formulation.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team of Research and Analytics Leads and analysts to produce high-quality outputs.
  • Oversee complex reporting methodologies to support decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Provide strategic advice on higher education issues using benchmarking data and market research.
  • Design and implement data projects, translating findings into actionable insights for governance and planning.
  • Facilitate collaboration and data-sharing across university departments and with external partners.

Benefits

  • Professional development opportunities and continuous learning.
  • Engagement in groundbreaking research and analytics projects.
  • Collaborative work culture with cross-functional teams.
  • Exposure to high-level strategic decision-making processes.
  • Potential for influence in shaping university policies and initiatives.
Full Job Description
Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - Excluded M&P

Job Profile
XMP - Institutional Analysis, level E

Job Title
Associate Director

Department
Research Analysis | Planning and Institutional Research

Compensation Range
$12,056.75 - $18,813.42 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.


Posting End Date
July 20, 2026

Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Ongoing

 

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

Job Summary
The Planning, Analytics, and Institutional Research Office (PAIR) provides leadership and direction to enhance the coordination of institutional data and analysis across the UBC system, providing optimal support to UBC executive, Faculties, staff, government and to external partners. The PAIR office leverages data and analytics to guide university-wide planning and decision-making, to support integrated university planning, to strengthen student learning and experiences, and to promote a deeper understanding of the nature and quality of education at UBC.


The Planning, Analytics, and Institutional Research (PAIR) portfolio encompasses two primary project streams: Integrated Reporting & Accountability and Strategic Intelligence & Advanced Analytics. The Associate Director oversees all work related to integrated reporting and accountability and directs a team of analysts within a project-based, matrix organizational structure. This role involves high-level strategic oversight, advanced data analytics, and cross-functional collaboration to support UBC’s strategic goals.


The Integrated Reporting & Accountability team is central to advancing UBC’s educational mission by supporting university planning and decision-making through data-driven insights and mandatory reporting. The team is responsible for a range of deliverables, including the Audited FTE report, Campus Fact Sheets, Student Experience of Instruction deployment and reporting, Integrated Enrolment Planning and Faculty Budget Forecasts, Provincial and National projects, U15 Data Exchange submissions, Rankings and Benchmarking submissions, supporting the Institutional Accountability Planning Report, and more. The Associate Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of this functional area to ensure the delivery of these critical outputs while fostering a culture of service, quality, integrity, and collaboration.


The Associate Director provides senior-level leadership in planning, analytics, institutional research and reporting, guiding data-driven decision-making, strategic planning, and policy formulation. This position leads and executes senior-level data analysis, reporting and institutional research in aid of university-wide planning, policy formulation, accountability reporting, and executive decision-making. This position is instrumental in designing and implementing complex data projects, interpreting findings, and delivering insights that support faculty, staff, student success, as well as the Chief Institutional Research Officer and institutional priorities. 


This position provides senior quantitative and strategic analytic support to the University’s collective bargaining and Faculty Relations functions, including complex cost analyses, market research, turnover and workforce trend analysis, and forecasting of long-range impacts to inform bargaining-related and strategic compensation decisions.

Organizational Status
Reporting to the Chief Institutional Research Officer (CIRO), the Associate Director oversees the Integrated Reporting & Accountability stream and collaborates closely with the Associate Director, Strategic Intelligence & Advanced Analytics. The incumbent oversees Research and Analytics Leads and their analyst teams and leads collaboration across various university units, including faculties, administrative departments, and external organizations. The role involves regular interaction with senior academic officers, university executives, government representatives, and higher education partners. This position also represents PAIR on various institutional and external committees and working groups, including those related to data management and systems development.

Work Performed
Team Leadership and Matrix Management


  • Provide leadership and strategic direction to the Research and Analytics Leads and their analyst teams, ensuring high-quality outputs and fostering an environment of professional growth and development in alignment with the priorities of the CIRO.
  • Navigate a matrix organizational structure to align analytical efforts with broader institutional goals, coordinating across diverse service and academic areas.
  • Mentor junior analysts and project staff, promoting continuous learning and adherence to best practices in data management and analysis.
  • Lead collaborative efforts with cross-functional teams, ensuring that project deliverables meet the diverse needs and expectations of internal stakeholders.
  • Provide enterprise portfolio governance across the Integrated Reporting and Accountability stream, including establishing annual and multi-year priorities; commissioning and approving project scopes; allocating resources across concurrent initiatives; ensuring delivery against executive and accountability timelines.

Strategic Leadership


  • Provide strategic advice and consultation to the CIRO on strategic issues relevant to higher education, utilizing benchmarking data (e.g., U15 Canada Data Exchange, Statistics Canada, Provincial data, etc.), conducting market research and environmental scans, and long-term population forecasting to inform data-driven policy formulation and decision-making.
  • Lead the planning, design, and execution of major data and analytics projects in areas such as mandatory reporting, enrolment reporting, student experience of instruction survey deployment and reporting, audited FTE process and report, and integrating enrolment planning with budget planning.
  • Design and deliver presentations and comprehensive reports to senior leadership, translating complex data insights into actionable recommendations.
  • Develop and oversee the implementation of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to assess institutional performance and inform strategic initiatives.
  • Advise on strategic enrolment management efforts, providing data-driven insights to optimize recruitment, retention, and completion-related activities.
  • Stay abreast of trends affecting enrolment, such as changes in demographics, post-secondary education patterns, government policies, and other external factors.
  • Approve analytical frameworks, research designs, and interpretive approaches for major studies; ensure the quality, defensibility, and policy relevance of findings; and sign off on key recommendations and executive-ready deliverables.

Research and Analysis


  • Oversee the development and implementation of multiple and simultaneous complex reporting methodologies and analytics frameworks, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and reliability of data.
  • Provide direction on data extraction, synthesis, and interpretation of data from multiple institutional sources to support decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Lead PAIR initiatives and direct Research and Analytics Leads on projects focused on integrated reporting and accountability, including mandatory reporting, enrolment reporting, student experience of instruction survey deployment and reporting, audited FTE process and report, and integrating enrolment planning with budget planning.
  • Ensure continuous improvement in research methodologies and analytics processes, incorporating emerging trends and technologies.
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive research and analytics portfolio of work that supports broad strategic direction set by the CIRO.
  • Provide management reporting for the Board of Governors, the University Executive, the two senates, Deans and Directors, committees and working groups with respect to strategy, planning and research.

Partner Engagement


  • Serve as a liaison between the PAIR unit and senior leaders in other university departments, government agencies, and external organizations.
  • Build and maintain relationships with internal data stewards and external stakeholders to facilitate data-sharing, collaboration, and the alignment of research and analytics initiatives.
  • Coordinate with U15 Canada institutions and other higher education bodies to promote sector-wide research collaborations, best practices, and responses to emerging issues and initiatives.
  • Facilitate workshops, presentations, and meetings to communicate project results and gather feedback from partners.
  • Oversee the development and quality assurance of bargaining-related analytic products (e.g., costing, market comparators, turnover trends, and long-range impact forecasts), ensuring methodological rigour, audibility and appropriate confidentiality controls.

Process Improvement and Innovation


  • Identify and implement best and innovative practices in institutional research, planning, data analytics, and reporting to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, and to position UBC PAIR as a leader in this field.
  • Develop and refine robust systems and processes to uphold data governance protocols, promote quality assurance, and information dissemination on behalf of PAIR.
  • Lead efforts to build a reliable platform for information dissemination, ensuring that information is accessible and meets the diverse needs of the university community.
  • Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovations in data analytics to drive continuous improvement within the unit.
  • Participate in the development of campus-wide systems related to students, HR, finance, and research, providing strategic insights and recommendations to ensure UBC data can be used for planning and reporting activities.
  • Provide strategic leadership and innovation for reporting and systems development; represent PAIR in campus-wide initiatives related to student, HR, finance, and research systems, including committees and working groups related to enterprise system redevelopment and data management.

Compliance and Quality Assurance


  • Ensure that all research, analytics, and reporting activities comply with university policies, ethical standards, and relevant regulations.
  • Maintain high standards of quality and accuracy in all data analyses, reports, and presentations.
  • Develop and implement protocols for data management, analysis, and reporting to ensure data integrity and security.
  • Ensure that bargaining-related analyses and deliverables are handled with strict confidentiality and appropriate data security controls, consistent with institutional policies and legal/ethical obligations.

Strategic Advisory and Policy Development


  • Advise senior university leadership on data, research and analytic issues, providing strategic insights into student, faculty, and staff activities to support strategic and operational decision-making.
  • Recommend strategies to measure the university’s performance against ministry accountability targets, access and affordability, and performance measurement and monitoring activities.
  • Provide leadership and guidance on policy development related to student transitions, financial aid, student participation,  graduate outcomes, and other related areas of the student experience.
  • Recommend strategies to measure UBC’s performance across key accountability and policy domains, including ministry accountability targets, access and affordability, transfer pathways and student transition, equity participation and outcomes, graduate outcomes, and student financial aid.

Other Duties


  • Perform additional tasks as assigned, contributing to the achievement of the university's strategic objectives.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The work of the Associate Director has significant implications for UBC’s strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and public reputation. Errors in analysis, judgment, or project execution could lead to inefficient resource allocation, reputational harm, and adverse impacts on policy decisions. The role requires a high degree of discretion, accuracy, and professional integrity.

Supervision Received
The Associate Director operates with considerable independence and assumes full responsibility for the unit’s deliverables. Work is reviewed by the CIRO for alignment with institutional objectives and profess

About The University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, UBC is British Columbia's oldest university. The university is ranked among the top 20 public universities worldwide and among the top three in Canada. UBC is a research-intensive university and has an annual research budget of over $600 million. The university offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of academic fields. UBC has a diverse student population, with over 65,000 students from over 160 countries.
Learn more about The University of British Columbia
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