Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research

Position Details

Position Information

Position Title
Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research

Job Category
S14

Job Type
Administrative/Professional Staff

Supervisor's Title
Chief Communications Officer and HLC Accreditation Officer

Location
District Office, Davenport (05)

Job Description

The Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Assessment leads Eastern Iowa Community Colleges' institutional research, assessment, program review, accreditation support, and data-informed improvement efforts.

The Director oversees the collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of institutional data and ensures information is accurate, accessible, and useful for decision-making. The position is responsible for the college's institutional assessment plan and assessment framework, chairs the standing Assessment Committee, and supports development and reporting of institutional key performance indicators.

This position is on-site in Davenport, IA.

Excellent benefits package:

• Administrative salaried staff receive Paid time off annually starting at 20 daysof vacation, 14 days sick, 2 days of personal time. In addition to paid holidays off, including a week in December.
• Summer Fridays off - shift rotation for those positions that require daily coverage
• Retirement plan with 9.44% employer contribution (IPERS or TIAA option), employees contribute 6.29%, plus additional retirement options
• Health, vision, and dental coverage
• Employer paid & voluntary Life insurance
• Employer paid Long Term Disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement for employees and dependents
• Flexible Spending Account options
• Professional development and education reimbursement benefits
• State employee discounts for cell phones, hotels, museums, etc.
• Employee Assistance Program

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited institution in institutional research, education, higher education, assessment, statistics, data analytics, social science, or a related field.
• Professional experience in institutional effectiveness, institutional research, assessment, analytics, or a related area.
• Experience with institutional assessment, quantitative and qualitative research, and analysis of complex datasets.
• Experience developing reports, dashboards, visualizations, or executive-level presentations.
• Knowledge of research design, statistical analysis, assessment methodology, and data interpretation.
• Experience supporting accreditation, program review, or institutional reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Demonstrated commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and responsible data use.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in institutional effectiveness, research, assessment, analytics, or higher education.
• Community college or higher education experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience developing institutional assessment plans or frameworks.
• Experience with accreditation, IPEDS, state reporting, program review, or institutional effectiveness.
• Knowledge of Higher Learning Commission criteria and federal compliance expectations.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, R, Python, or comparable tools.

Physical Demands

• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
• This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Salary
Starting range: $88,500 - 110,600

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
• Develop and maintain the college's institutional effectiveness and assessment framework.
• Lead development and implementation of the institutional assessment plan.
• Chair the standing Assessment Committee.
• Coordinate assessment across academic programs, general education, student services, administrative areas, and co-curricular activities.
• Establish assessment expectations, timelines, templates, and documentation standards.
• Support faculty and staff in developing outcomes, selecting measures, analyzing results, and documenting improvement.
• Maintain assessment evidence supporting accreditation, program review, and continuous improvement.

Institutional Research and Analytics
• Lead institutional research operations and supervise assigned employees.
• Oversee the collection, validation, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of institutional data.
• Conduct research related to enrollment, retention, completion, transfer, workforce outcomes, equity, program performance, and student achievement.
• Develop dashboards, reports, visualizations, and analytical models.
• Collaborate with information technology and data owners to improve data quality, definitions, and reporting processes.
• Maintain a collegewide data dictionary and reporting calendar.
• Respond to internal and external data requests while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality, and security.

Key Performance Indicators and Reporting
• Support development and reporting of institutional key performance indicators.
• Develop scorecards, dashboards, and other measures of institutional performance.
• Align reporting with the college's mission and strategic priorities.
• Prepare reports and presentations for leadership, the Board of Trustees, employees, accreditors, and external agencies.
• Provide data and analysis supporting enrollment, student success, operational improvement, and institutional decision-making.

Program Review, Surveys, and Research
• Coordinate academic program, general education, student service, and other review processes.
• Provide data and analytical support to departments conducting reviews.
• Help departments evaluate effectiveness and develop improvement plans.
• Develop and oversee institutional surveys of students, employees, alumni, employers, and community stakeholders.
• Conduct additional quantitative and qualitative research as needed.

Accreditation and Compliance
• Coordinate data, evidence, analysis, and documentation supporting institutional and specialized accreditation.
• Ensure assessment processes and documentation align with applicable accreditation standards.
• Assist with Higher Learning Commission reports, institutional updates, monitoring reports, and comprehensive evaluations.
• Support Iowa Department of Education reviews, IPEDS, and other required reporting.
• Verify the accuracy and consistency of information submitted externally.
• Identify potential gaps in assessment, documentation, or compliance and recommend corrective action.

Leadership and Institutional Support
• Provide professional development and consultation on research, assessment, analytics, and responsible data use.
• Develop accessible reports, dashboards, guides, and training resources.
• Recruit, supervise, develop, and evaluate assigned employees.
• Manage multiple projects, deadlines, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Recommend technologies supporting research, assessment, analytics, and reporting.
• Represent the college on committees, councils, professional organizations, and external workgroups.
• Maintain current knowledge of accreditation expectations, research practices, assessment methods, and emerging technologies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Knowledge of institutional effectiveness, institutional research, assessment, analytics, and accreditation practices.
• Ability to develop and maintain an institutional assessment plan and framework.
• Ability to lead collaborative collegewide processes.
• Ability to evaluate data quality, apply appropriate research methods, and synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Ability to present complex findings clearly and connect results to institutional priorities.
• Strong leadership, analytical, organizational, communication, facilitation, and project management skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and work effectively across the institution.
• Commitment to student success, continuous improvement, and the community college mission.

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number
S251P

Number of Vacancies
1

Open Date
10/29/2026

Close Date

Open Until Filled
Yes

Special Instructions Summary