Asst Dir, Research & Planning

Assistant Director of Research and Planning

Harold Washington College

City Colleges of Chicago’s vision is to be recognized as the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity – empowering all Chicagoans to take part in building a stronger and more just city.  The community college system’s more than 3,500 faculty and staff serve more than 60,000 students annually at seven colleges and five satellite sites.

 

WE OFFER: Excellent health and welfare benefit package and long-term savings and investment programs including 403(b) & 457(b) Investment Plans and a pension plan with the State University Retirement System (SURS) Plan. Generous vacation, holiday, personal and sick days, and tuition reimbursement. For a more detailed overview of benefits, please visit the benefits page of our website.

JOB SUMMARY

The Assistant Director, Research and Planning is responsible for coordinating and conducting institutional research functions to provide information that supports institutional planning, policy formulation and decision making at the college and District level. Performs related duties as required. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Provides research and analytic support to college leadership (President, Vice President), administrators, staff, and faculty with timely and relevant research, data analysis, data interpretation, and information to support the college’s strategies to improve institutional effectiveness. 

• Participates and collaborates with college administrators on strategic planning activities by compiling, analyzing and presenting institutional data to support assessment and decision making in various areas including academic program evaluation, student learning/program outcomes, student services, enrollment management, resource allocation, and staffing.  

• Functions as an intermediary between college administrators and key District level staff on issues relating to the compilation and analysis of institutional data, performance data and other metrics to facilitate decision-making in such areas as policy formulation, resource allocation, enrollment management, performance management and strategic planning.

• Works collaboratively with college administrators in establishing benchmarks, key performance indicators, score cards, dashboards, and other metrics and performance measures.

• Provides statistical data to comply with reporting requirements from State agencies (i.e. Illinois Community College Board) as well as federal agencies (i.e. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics). 

• Responds to requests for data research and analysis to support the accreditation process, work with college administrators to identify, extract and report data from appropriate sources (Data Warehouse, PeopleSoft). Compiles data from multiple sources (sources) for used in institutional self-study and accreditation by external agencies (i.e. Higher Learning Commission). 

• Responds to internal requests for data to support specific data needs of college administrators, staff, faculty, and District level management by coordinating and providing data on topics such as student recruitment, admissions, enrollment, retention, financial aid, and completion rates.

• Designs and administers surveys and other data collection instruments; collects and analyzes survey data; and prepares narrative and statistical reports.

• Analyzes complex data sets using research methods, quantitative and qualitative analyses and statistical techniques. Uses statistical software such as SAS in performing data analysis.

• Develops and presents workshops and training on the use and application of information technology systems and tools (i.e. Open Book), guiding college administrators and faculty on the processes for accessing data and information about the institution.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to: Director of Research and Planning

Direct: None. Staff may be assigned on project-by-project basis. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training and Experience

• A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Education or the Social or Behavioral Sciences (Sociology, Psychology, Economics), or a related field of study

• Three years of relevant research experience, with demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics. 

• A combination of education and experience may be taken into consideration based on the applicant’s credentials. 

• High level of proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required. 

• Experience with higher education accreditation processes highly desirable. 

• Experience with statistical analysis software highly desirable. 

• Experience in the assessment of student learning outcomes desirable. 

• Experience in the development of performance metrics, Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate and continuous improvement systems and tools desirable. 

• Familiarity with Access and SQL data query skills a plus.

The following generally describes the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time to successfully perform the assigned duties. 

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

• Knowledge of the practices and procedures used in the research, collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of statistical data. 

• Knowledge of research, assessment and planning activities in a higher education environment.

• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

• Knowledge of critical issues in higher education and understanding of education performance data.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Strong research and writing skills. 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Strong data management skills.

• Skill in the application and use of appropriate statistical analysis.  

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships. 

• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate information on the analysis and interpretation of data and research findings to a non-technical audience. 

• Ability to work within a culturally diverse environment. 

• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively. 

• Ability to manage competing priorities and handling multiple projects. 

• Ability to work under time pressure and meet established deadlines. 

• Ability to combine complex datasets and to manipulate large datasets as part of data analysis. 

Working Conditions

• General Office environment

• Some travel to various city colleges within District 508

Equipment

• Standard office equipment

• Computers and peripheral equipment

Physical Requirements

• Ability to operate computers and related equipment and software. 

Worker Characteristics

• Leadership – Demonstrate willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. 

• Attention to Detail – Requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. 

• Initiative – Demonstrates willingness to take on responsibilities and job challenges. 

• Dependability – Demonstrates reliability, responsibility, and dependability and fulfill obligations.

• Analytical Thinking – Analyzes information and use logic to address work issues. 

• Technologically Informed – Capable user of technology who understands the role of technology in the institution and who will guide and support its efficient and effective use. 

The intent of this job description is to provide a general description of the duties and responsibilities of this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive set of the duties and responsibilities, nor all of the necessary qualifications to perform the work. 

Additional Information