Senior Principal Analyst, Student Equity

• UQ Planning & Business Intelligence

• Full-time fixed term position for 12 months

• Work with a high performing team of analysts and data engineers to produce insights that will enable UQ to progress its goals around supporting students from cohorts who are under-represented in the university sector.

• Belong to a vibrant community where your work genuinely makes an impact.

• Based at our vibrant St Lucia Campus

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you will have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave

• 17% superannuation contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading

• Access to flexible working arrangements

• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family

• On campus childcare options

• Cheap parking (from just $5.75 a day)

• Salary packaging options

About This Opportunity 

An exciting opportunity exists to make a positive contribution to underrepresented students’ experiences at UQ by delivering outcomes focused analysis as part of The Queensland Commitment Research Program.

The Queensland Commitment is a core enabling strategy within The University of Queensland Strategic Plan 2022-2025. This commitment aims to uplift educational attainment for the most underrepresented groups, with an immediate focus on students from low socio-economic backgrounds, regional or remote areas, and those identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The Queensland Commitment Research Program generates the research and evidence base for The Queensland Commitment.

This is a 12-month appointment for a curious, creative and motivated social researcher in the Planning and Business Intelligence unit. You will undertake analysis on issues such as:

• UQ students’ educational pathways, enrolment trends, retention, university experiences and academic performance

• UQ equity initiatives

• progress against The Queensland Commitment targets.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Prepare analytical insights reports, papers and presentations as part of the Queensland Commitment Research Program. These documents will be based on analysis and interpretation of data, synthesis of information from various sources and knowledge of higher education student equity issues. This may involve:

  • creating detailed and complex data collections, including liaison with data engineers to enable the integration of data from external sources

  • applying statistical techniques to analyse data

  • creating visual representations of the data

  • using tools such as BusinessObjects, SPSS, and the Microsoft Office suite

  • presenting findings and recommendations to a broad range of stakeholders across the University

  • working collaboratively with colleagues across the University.

• Undertake ad hoc data analysis in relation to student equity issues, when requested.

• Identify gaps in the data available in the University’s corporate systems and develop advice outlining the business process and system changes that are required to collect missing data. Work with data owners across UQ and the unit’s data warehouse systems analysts to incorporate new data sources.

• Problem solve day-to-day issues by exercising independent judgement and applying previous experience to new situations. Note that issues will, at times, be abstract and complex and require conceptual creative thinking and clear communication.

• Provide assistance to the Director of Planning and the Associate Director, Strategic Planning, Analysis and Reporting in the preparation of information as required.

Other

Ensure you are aware of and comply with legislation and University policy relevant to the duties undertaken, including but not exclusive to:

• The University’s Code of Conduct .

• Requirements of the Queensland occupational health and safety (OH&S) legislation and related OH&S responsibilities and procedures developed by the University or Institute/School.

• The adoption of sustainable practices in all work activities and compliance with associated legislation and related University sustainability responsibilities and procedures .

• Requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, the National Code 2007 and associated legislation, and related responsibilities and procedures developed by the University.

This is a Full-time, 100% FTE Fixed-term position for 12 months.  

At HEW8, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $108,975 - $122,176, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $127,500 - $142,946 annually.  As these roles are covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases in line with the Enterprise Agreement.

About You  

The role will suit someone with a social research background and strong analytical skills who enjoys turning data into insights to help solve complex problems. You will:

• Have a degree with a strong component of quantitative data analysis and/or a combination of extensive relevant experience and education. Relevant disciplines include (but are not limited to) sociology, psychology, economics, geography, statistics, and business analytics.

• Be experienced in working with complex administrative data and have good data preparation and wrangling skills.

• Have expertise in quantitative data analysis techniques, such as multivariate analysis, survey research, correlation and regression analysis and categorical data analysis including experience using statistical analysis applications such as SPSS, SAS, Excel, Python or R.

• Be able to create and test hypotheses and tackle problems creatively – understanding the broader context with the ability to identify key questions, not just answer them.

• Have sound knowledge of higher education policy and issues affecting underrepresented students in higher education. This knowledge may be based on research or operational experiences.

• Have excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to design and produce clear, concise and accurate reports, briefing papers and submissions on analytical findings.

• Ability to work independently, cooperatively as part of a team, and with staff from within the unit and other areas of the University.

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

• Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment. 

• Background Checks: All final applicants for this position may be asked to consent to a criminal record check. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically barred from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits. 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Carly Palmer (Associate Director, Strategic Planning, Analysis and Reporting) at [email protected] .  

For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section  

• Resume 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion .  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity , LGBTQIA+ , cultural and/or linguistic , Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , or people with a disability . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected] .

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close Sunday 5 May 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number – R-37240).