Transylvania University

Assistant Director of Institutional Research

Founded in 1780, Transylvania University is one of the nation’s oldest institutions, but don’t let our age fool you. Ranked in the Top 100 Best Liberal Arts colleges for 2025 by Niche, we’re a vibrant, forward-thinking campus in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky full of curious minds, creative energy, and people who genuinely love what they do. We are mentors, innovators and community builders who help shape the next generation of thinkers, creators and leaders.

At Transylvania, we believe our people are our greatest strength. We seek enthusiasm, initiative, and a commitment to excellence to helping create a campus environment where students, faculty and staff thrive. As a member of our community, you’ll work alongside dedicated colleagues who value collaboration, innovative thinking and shared success. We invite applications for this opportunity to not only belong but belong to Team Transy!

Housed in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Assistant Director of Institutional Research (AD/IR) supports institutional effectiveness by delivering accurate, consistent, and actionable data analysis. This person will play a major role in support of our upcoming curricular transition, our SACS accreditation process, and serve as budgetary liaison between the Bingham Board and the University, as directed by the Dean’s Office. The AD/IR will work closely with departments across campus to strengthen institutional analytics capacity. The position plays a key role in developing standardized reporting practices, improving data integrity, documenting business rules, and supporting formal data governance processes across the University. 

What you’ll do:

• Provide data and research support for the curricular transition.
• Provide data and research support for the upcoming SACS 5th-year interim report.
• Using business intelligence tools, such as Power BI or Tableau, develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and data visualizations to support institutional planning, assessment, and operational decision-making.
• Develop and maintain documentation and standard operating procedures for recurring institutional reports.
• Assist with Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System submissions, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation documentation, state and federal compliance reporting, and external survey requests.
• Prepare standardized institutional datasets for internal and external reporting needs.
• Support academic and administrative assessment processes through data analysis, reporting templates, evidence review, and summary reporting.
• Develop, maintain, and validate SQL queries and data extraction processes.
• Conduct statistical analyses, forecasting, and modeling as appropriate to support planning, assessment, and predictive initiatives.
• Participate in data migration and new software implementation by validating data and documenting reporting logic. 
• Serve as a liaison between functional offices and Information Technology regarding reporting, data access, system logic, and data validation needs.
• Serve as a liaison between the Bingham Board and the University, tracking spending and developing projections based on approved funding and initiatives.

What you bring: 

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, data science, economics, mathematics, computer science, higher education administration, social science, or a related field.
• Three to five years of professional experience in data analysis, reporting, institutional research, assessment, business intelligence, or a closely related analytical function.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and advanced Excel.
• Experience with business intelligence or data visualization tools.
• Strong expertise in data analysis, reporting logic, documentation, data validation, and business-rule interpretation.
• Proven ability to prepare clear, accurate, and decision-ready reports, dashboards, and briefing materials.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to data accuracy, confidentiality, documentation, and responsible use of institutional data.
  

Preferred Qualities:

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience with Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System reporting.
• Experience supporting Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation, institutional effectiveness, assessment, or compliance reporting.
• Experience in predictive modeling, statistical analysis, survey research, or program evaluation.
• Familiarity with higher education data systems such as Colleague, Banner, Slate, Raiser’s Edge, learning management systems, or similar platforms.

Why you’ll love belonging here:

• A campus that feels alive, where every day brings new faces, new ideas, and the kind of energy that makes work feel meaningful.
• A community that cares, with colleagues who celebrate wins, support challenges and make you feel part of something bigger.
• A space to grow and shine, with professional development, leadership opportunities and a culture that encourages to bring your best ideas forward.
• A setting that’s hard to beat, right in the heart of Lexington, Transylvania is walkable, welcoming and full of charm and history.

How to apply: Please apply by visiting www.transy.edu/jobs.

Applicants who are selected as final possible candidates must be able to pass a criminal background check. 

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V