Institutional Research Associate II

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Syracuse University seeks an Institutional Research Associate II to join a highly collaborative team supporting data-informed decision-making across the University. As part of an integrated office that brings together institutional research, assessment, and strategic analytics, this role contributes to the development and implementation of research that informs strategic action by the University and its component units. The Research Associate II will develop data collection protocols, analyze newly collected and existing data, and communicate findings to provide actionable insights on institutional priorities for administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a social or behavioral science field (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Education) is strongly desired. Postgraduate study is preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in social or behavioral science research is required.
• 3+ of these years in institutional research in a university setting is strongly preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Proficiency in descriptive and inferential statistical analysis (e.g., means, distributions, t-tests, regression) is required.
• Experience with qualitative research and analysis is a plus.
• Proficiency in merging data across disparate sources (e.g., institutional records, surveys, external agencies) is required.
• Proficiency in a statistical programming language for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization, with the ability to write clean, reproducible code, is required. Experience with R is preferred.
• Ability to communicate research findings to non-technical audiences is required.
• Experience with dashboarding software (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with survey design and administration is strongly preferred.
• Experience querying relational databases is preferred.
• Experience with or openness to leveraging AI tools (e.g., Claude, Chat GPT) to streamline workflows and enhance productivity is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Work with senior staff to support stakeholders across Syracuse University in identifying research needs, defining research questions, and developing quantitative and qualitative methodologies that advance institutional priorities.
• Lead small- and medium-sized research projects, managing multiple short- and long-term projects concurrently.
• Collaborate with other members of the Research Team to execute research projects, including surveys of students, faculty, and staff, and analysis of institutional records.
• Clean, structure, and analyze data to identify trends and generate actionable insights.
• Leverage University-approved AI tools to optimize workflow.
• Build and analyze datasets to fulfill ad hoc requests and support larger research projects, including merging data across multiple sources such as institutional records, surveys, and external agencies.
• Communicate research findings to non-technical audiences through written reports, presentations, data visualizations, and dashboards.

Physical Requirements

Not Applicable

Tools/Equipment

Not Applicable

Application Instructions

In addition to completing an online application, please attach a resume and cover letter.