Summary

Collects, develops, analyzes, communicates, and consults on a wide range of institutional data and other information to constituents throughout the university, to support and enhance informed decision-making, problem solving, strategic planning, policy development, and institutional self-assessment. Performs applied research, and designs, executes, and evaluates wide-ranging analytical and statistical studies and/or institutional self-assessments. Designs and manages information systems and databases to support institutional research activities. Provides functional leadership, training, and guidance to other researchers, as appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Acquires, manipulates, develops, and maintains longitudinal data sets, verifying accuracy and consistency over time, in the context of evolving requirements regarding reporting institutional facts.
2. Conducts and/or consults on a wide variety of university survey research efforts; participates in and advises on survey construction, objectives and rationale, development of survey instruments, and design of survey protocol and procedures.
3. Performs and/or advises on data reduction, statistical analysis of data, and interpretation of results; prepares or participates in the preparation and presentation of formal research reports.
4. Facilitates the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated institutional self-assessment programs, as appropriate to the objectives of the position; coordinates assessment activities, provides technical support, and facilitates the integration of processes and findings into institutional planning and decision-making.
5. Analyzes functional requirements in order to answer fundamental questions of fact regarding the institution using varied data resources.
6. Prepares institutional responses to internal an/or external queries such as faculty salary surveys, employment statistics, enrollment statistics and projections.
7. Formulates and prepares institutional responses to internal and/or external queries and requests for institutional data and statistics on a wide range of issues.
8. Designs, executes, analyzes, communicates, and consults on the results of ongoing and one-time analytical studies using appropriate inferential statistics.
9. Represents the department to Faculty Senate committees, ad hoc committees, and task forces, as assigned.
10. Provides functional direction to lower level technicians on assigned work.
11. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree; at least 5 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
• Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Knowledge of higher education planning methods, processes, systems, reporting, and databases.
• Ability to draw conclusions and make recommendations based on research data and findings.
• Skill in the use of personal computers and related software applications.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of institutional self-assessments and student outcomes assessment principles, methods and techniques.
• Ability to provide technical leadership and direction to lower level staff members.
• Knowledge of statistical data collection, analysis, tracking, and reporting systems, methods, and techniques.
• Knowledge of SAS programming and/or other software used to manipulate, summarize, and produce reports from multiple, large, complex data sets.
• Ability to analyze statistical data and generate reports, and design and administer survey instruments.
• Ability to plan, create, program, and manage statistical computer databases across multiple hardware and operating system platforms/environments.
• Knowledge of University data systems, definitions, and procedures.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Position requires: a) Performing applied research and designing, executing, and evaluating wide-ranging analytical and statistical studies; b) participating in the preparation and presentation of formal research reports; c) facilitating the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated institutional self-assessment programs; d) facilitating the findings into institutional planning and decision-making; and e) providing functional direction to other institutional researchers.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• No or very limited physical effort required.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risk.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

The University of New Mexico provides all training required by OSHA to ensure employee safety.

Revised Date: 03/20/2017