Job Description

Job Description Summary

Penn's Office of Institutional Research & Analysis (IR&A) is seeking a Senior Data Analyst to join its team. IR&A is responsible for the production of timely, accurate, and unbiased statistical analyses to be used in the strategic planning process of the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Description

The Senior Data Analyst will actively engage in the process of turning raw data into useful information by developing and maintaining the core institutional data sets that support the work of the broader office and the Vice President of IR&A. Consideration will be given to candidates with advanced technical skills in data manipulation, excellent problem-solving skills, and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and to work with others collaboratively. The successful analyst must be able to think strategically, develop creative solutions, process and manipulate institutional data, and, most importantly, help IR&A make meaning from these data.

Duties

Design, create and manage complex data sets from multiple internal and external data sources.
Respond to internal and external requests for data, information, and analyses by preparing and submitting a variety of regular and ad hoc reports.
Produce novel analyses and prepare reports and/or presentations of analytical findings in narrative and visual formats.
Create efficient, repeatable processes to proactively respond to all ongoing and/or repeating requests for data, information, and analyses.
Define data constructs and create data governance and documentation standards.
Represent IR&A on university committees and task forces.
Participate in institutional research consortia (e.g., AAUDE, COFHE, Ivy-IR, etc.).
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications

Bachelor Degree required, Master's degree preferred and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Background and experience should emphasize data processing and quantitative research skills. (e.g., Computer Science, Statistics, Social Science, Mathematics, etc.)
Experience creating complex data sets from multiple internal and external data sources.
Demonstrated ability to use programming software to run queries, create scripts and transform data. (e.g. SQL, Base SAS, R, Python, etc.)
Demonstrated understanding of relational databases and data management.
Excellent analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills; ability to compile, analyze and interpret data.
Ability to convey complicated data and complex results as organized and easily understandable information.
Significant experience using descriptive statistics to clean and regularize data.
Experience with statistical programming language preferred. (e.g. SAS, R, SPSS syntax, STATA, etc.)
Experience with one or more data visualization software packages (e.g., Tableau, Microsoft BI, Qlik, etc.); Tableau preferred.
Demonstrated ability and desire to acquire new knowledge and skills independently.
Excellent organizational skills, including a keen orientation to detail and deadlines, as well as the ability to prioritize work and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Ability to handle confidential materials professionally and to utilize discretion in releasing confidential information.
Commitment to maintaining accurate and detailed records and documentation.
Experience working with the student or employee information systems (Banner and/or Workday especially helpful).