Academic Insight & Reporting Analyst @ Office of Postdoctoral Fellows, Stanford University
https://careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/organizational-insight-analyst-6631 Postdocs are the fastest growing group of trainees on Stanford’s campus. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) is seeking an Academic Insight & Reporting Analyst with experience in independent management of high-profile projects to compile, analyze, and communicate data in support of policy decisions, and to provide guidance as part of local and national conversations around postdoctoral training. The successful candidate will be independent, curious, collaborative, and creative, with a knack for understanding stakeholder needs, framing key analytical questions, and using data to tell stories. This position is a critical part of the OPA team, working as an individual contributor to design and conduct analyses around high-level questions, set up systems for proactively monitoring data integrity and policy compliance, and support the development and efficiency of internal and external reporting. A person with a deep interest in institutional research and higher education will have the tools and context necessary to define and influence postdoctoral training at Stanford, and in turn to influence the future academic workforce. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is a fast-moving, agile office that administers and supports the more than 2300 postdocs on campus. OPA is one of the leading postdoc offices in the country and seeks to provide the best service to its constituents – the postdocs, faculty, and departmental administrators. Through close working relationships throughout the University, the AI&RA will work independently to provide clear and deep understanding of trends and issues in postdoctoral training. Scope of Duties include: Decision Support, e.g.
- Develop and define key questions to assist senior leadership with strategy and decision-making around policies. Fully analyze the problem, question existing processes and assumptions, gather data and information, find and evaluate alternative solutions, and propose the best course of action.
- Develop, visualize, and communicate data-driven conclusions and recommendations to senior leaders including the Senior Associate Dean, Vice Provost of Graduate Education, Provost, and Provost’s Advisory Committee on Postdoctoral Affairs.
- Use a variety of data sources to create models in support of high-level policy changes. Determine impacts of proposed policy changes at levels ranging from University-wide to individual Schools, Departments, and faculty members. Communicate these outcomes clearly in support of decision-making up to and including the Provostial level.
- Work directly with Directors of Finance and Administration/Operations, Student Services Officers, and other key staff across the University in order to develop meaningful metrics and information resources for a broad array of stakeholders and leaders.
- Answer questions by developing research methodology, gathering data, and/or using appropriate statistical techniques on available data.
- Provide innovative approaches to data use and visualization that reflect and influence the current University and National challenges and conversations around postdoctoral training.
- Collaborate with other organizations internal and external to Stanford around data gathering and analysis. Proactively identify relevant, meaningful data, including external benchmarks and comparisons, to support or refute proposed courses of action. Collaborate closely with Stanford units including IR&DS, EPS, RMG, UIT, Faculty Affairs, and others to ensure that University systems provide appropriate support for OPA’s reporting and management requirements around postdocs, and ensure the validity of data captured by the University’s systems of record. Collaborate with NSF and other federal institutions to collect and analyze data.
- Represent postdoc-related interests on University-wide steering committees, task forces, and working groups. Partner with other units on developing and implementing analytic strategies throughout the University.
- Lead a large-scale project around outcomes for Stanford’s postdoctoral trainees. Collect and validate placement data for approximately 800 former postdocs; design and conduct analyses to identify actionable insights using the resulting data set, crucially including metrics for assessing the impact of trainees’ postdoctoral experiences. Identify mechanisms for long-term storage of, updates to, and reporting on this outcomes data collection.
- Drive the development of new data sources, and the refinement of existing data sources. Provide ongoing oversight of existing reports; develop more effective and efficient tools. Play a lead role in University and external audits of all postdoc data.
- Working with technical partners on campus, identify and/or create mechanisms for leveraging existing data warehouse(s) to streamline data retrieval and automate existing reporting.
- Master’s degree in Statistics or a related field
- Prior experience working in a higher education environment preferred, including interactions with senior leadership, faculty and staff.
- Ability to articulate and translate non-technical end user objectives to identify the most appropriate reporting or analysis methodology given time and information constraints.
- Experience with SQL and Tableau
- Proficiency in manipulating and analyzing complex, high-volume, high-dimensionality data from varying sources.
- Extensive experience in and strong passion for empirical research and answering hard questions with data.
- Interpersonal and communication skills to positively convey findings and influence senior leadership & faculty.
- Demonstrated experience querying, processing, analyzing, and reporting on large data sets.
- Ability to use data retrieval and manipulation tools such as SQL, Brio Query, Business Objects, etc.in conjunction with visual data tools to present data clearly to non-technical audiences.
- Familiarity and experience with intermediate statistical methods; advanced proficiency with statistical tools such as SPSS, SAS, R or similar tools.
- Ability to tell stories with data using data visualization software such as Tableau, Excel, SPSS, or similar software in conjunction with strong verbal ability.
- Ability to use visual data tools to present data clearly to non-technical audiences.
- Flexible analytical approach allowing for results at varying levels of precision.
- Familiarity with strategic planning concepts.
- Excellent project management skills.
- Bachelor degree in a relevant technical field and four years’ extensive experience or combination of education and relevant technical field experience solving analytical problems using quantitative approaches.
- Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks.
- Frequently sit, sort, file paperwork or parts, grasp lightly, and use fine manipulation, lift, carry, push and pull objects that weigh 10 pounds or less.
- Occasionally write by hand, twist, bend, stoop and squat.
- Rarely stand, walk, reach or work above shoulders and use a telephone.
- May work extended hours during peak business cycles.
- Schedule: Full-time
- Job Code: 4748
- Employee Status: Regular
- Grade: J
- Requisition ID: 83178