Director of Data Analytics

Job Title: Director of Data Analytics

Reporting Relationship: VP of Learner Success

Unit: National & Global

Department: Dept. of Learner Success-National & Global

Campus Location: Hybrid Schedule (1 day / month Onsite either at Indianapolis Ed Center or Marion, IN campus; the remaining time fully remote).

Summary of Position:    The Director of Data Analytics serves as the Strategic Lead for data-driven retention interventions and intervention science within National & Global. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Learner Success, this individual contributor role is responsible for transforming complex student data from the institutional data lake into validated, causal insights that directly improve persistence and completion outcomes for adult online learners.

This position is distinguished by its focus on establishing causality in retention research. The Director applies advanced statistical approaches to move the division from descriptive dashboards to prescriptive, evidence-based action, functioning as the lead practitioner for "Actionable Analytics."

Duties and Responsibilities

• Intervention Science and Causal Modeling
  • Leads the application of "gold standard" statistical methodologies to establish the causal efficacy of retention interventions
  • Designs and executes quasi-experimental studies using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to simulate randomized control trials
  • Employs Survival Analysis (time-to-event modeling) to identify critical "danger zones" within the academic term where students are most likely to disengage
  • Utilizes Multi-level Modeling (MLM) to distinguish between student-level factors and systemic programmatic issues
  • Applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to map relationships between latent psychosocial variables and observed outcomes like GPA and course completion
• Student Success Intelligence Brief Publication
  • Serves as the primary author and strategist for the "Student Success Intelligence Brief," published every six weeks
  • Translates complex statistical findings into clear, actionable steps for faculty and leadership across the DeVoe School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Service and Leadership
  • Provides high-level, program-segmented analysis of retention trends and provides "Go/No-Go" recommendations for scaling pilot initiatives
• Psychosocial Metric Development and Validation
  • Operationalizes the integration of non-cognitive measures (Sense of Belonging, Academic Self-Efficacy, Help-Seeking Orientation) into the institutional data model
  • Develops and validates proprietary predictive scales that combine traditional academic indicators with psychosocial factors
  • Ensures that psychosocial triggers are embedded into CRM case records to enable targeted resource referrals by advisors
• Data Integration and CRM/AI Collaboration
  • Serves as the primary functional liaison to IT and Salesforce teams to access and integrate data from the institutional data lake
  • Defines data requirements and validates data quality for the "Student Insights Agent" and other Agentic AI workflows
  • Ensures that early alert thresholds and "Next Best Action" prompts in Salesforce are grounded in empirically validated retention science rather than arbitrary rules
• External Benchmarking and Thought Leadership
  • Benchmarks institutional retention outcomes against national standards for online adult learners (IPEDS, National Student Clearinghouse)
  • Represents the institution at national conferences (e.g., EDUCAUSE, AIR) to contribute to the scholarly conversation on student success science

Qualifications: According to Indiana Wesleyan University employment policy all employees must possess a strong Christian commitment and adhere to the standards outlined in the IWU Community Lifestyle Statement.

Education

• Required: Master’s degree in Data Science, Business Analytics, Statistics, Quantitative Psychology, or a related quantitative field
• Preferred: Doctoral student (ABD - All But Dissertation) with a focus on causal inference, higher education research, or intervention science

Experience

• Five or more (5+) years of progressive experience in data science, institutional research, or student success analytics
• Proven track record of establishing causal relationships in educational or behavioral research
• Experience working with adult learner populations in online or distance learning environments
• Experience with CRM platforms (Sal