Data Scientist, Student Success Analytics
Job no:
Work type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)
Location: Harrisonburg
Categories: Research
Working Title: Data Scientist, Student Success Analytics
State Role Title: N/A
Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Student Academic Success
Department: 100756 - Student Success Analytics
Pay Band: N/A
Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience
Specify Range or Amount:
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 11/21/2026
General Information:
Student Success Analytics (SSA) at James Madison University is accepting applications for a Data Scientist as part of its work toward leveraging data and technology for improving student success and retention. The Data Scientist is an applied analytics and research position focused on transforming student-success data into ethical, actionable evidence for institutional decisions. This position reports to the Director, works on a team within another data scientist and data engineer, and supports the strategic vision to achieve the highest level of data maturity that maximizes success outcomes for all students.
The Data Scientist will help shape the design, collection, and use of data and data analytics to ensure student success and retention. JMU is in the middle of an enterprise-wide system modernization program, and this position has unique opportunities to shape the paths forward for data ethics, data analytics, and the use of data for student success and data-informed decision-making. This position will help lead efforts as the university moves forward in establishing a student success culture informed by data from the Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Learning Management Software (LMS), Student Information System (SIS), and other systems.
The Data Scientist will work closely with Student Affairs, Planning, Analytics, & Institutional Research (PAIR), Information Technology, The Graduate School, the Libraries, and other departments. The person in this position would be joining at an exciting time as efforts are underway to build a knowledge community that develops and enhances expertise around how JMU will work toward a data maturity model that integrates data science into leadership decisions.
This position is telework eligible.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Analyze data to generate actionable insights that can empower the early student success team and other stakeholders to act on data
Design and evaluate descriptive, predictive, and, where appropriate, causal or quasi-experimental analyses; document assumptions, uncertainty, limitations, and differential performance across student populations
Communicate insights from data analysis through visualizations, presentations, written reports, publications, and other multi-media
Collaborate with Student Academic Success (SAS) partners and colleagues across campus on data management best practices, data ethics and privacy, data-informed research questions, and the use of data
Advocate for data privacy, ethics, and equity as central in any design, management, and use of data decisions for the early student success system, including in collaboration with colleagues across the campus community
Explore and evaluate responsible uses of generative AI for analytical workflows, knowledge retrieval, documentation, and decision-support tools, with appropriate attention to privacy, accuracy, accessibility, and human oversight
Qualifications:
MS in Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Mathematics, Physics, Finance, or other quantitative disciplines
Proficiency in SQL and at least one statistical or general-purpose programming language, preferably Python or R.
Experience with statistical methods and programming language to manage data and provide insights from large data sets
Experience analyzing, summarizing, and communicating information clearly, including knowledge of open source or commercial data visualization libraries/tools
Ability to work in a highly collaborative and dynamic work environment
Awareness of and commitment to the value of data privacy, security, and ethics
Awareness of and commitment to how data analytics can strengthen student success, retention, and graduation across student populations.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in higher education
PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Mathematics, Physics, Finance, or other quantitative disciplines
Experience creating and using advanced machine learning algorithms and statistics: regression, simulation, modeling, clustering, decision trees, etc.
Professional experience in equitable data management, use of data, and data analytics
Experience working with relational and non-relational database systems
Experience using, building, and deploying generative A.I. tools
Additional Posting Information:
JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
Advertised: 21 Oct 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:
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