Under the direction and guidance of the Senior Manager, Institutional Budget and Resource Planning, the Institutional Analyst (IA) is responsible for the development of databases, models, analyses, and reporting as well as communicating the results of analyses internal and external to IAP. The IA will proactively contribute to IAP’s mandate of providing data, advice, analytical and planning support to the Senior Leadership of the university to inform policy development, strategic planning, decision-making and priority-setting. Internal to the university, the IA will routinely work with peers in IAP, and key individuals in other academic/academic-support units. The IA will also engage regularly with external stakeholders that will include one or more of the following: the Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development, Statistics Canada, the Council of Ontario Universities, and numerous data-sharing and survey consortiums. While the IA’s role may be specialized within IAP, the IA will offer a solid foundation in data analysis, research, statistical and database skills to support the core functions in IAP.
Responsibilities
Institutional data analysis and reporting:
- Develops and prepares analytical models, reports and relevant data visualizations (including dashboards, graphs, presentations and web applications) to inform evidence-based decision-making at the University.
- Supports indicator development and ongoing reporting for Waterloo operational and strategic measures.
- Analyzes trends and patterns in university performance over time using various benchmarks and comparative data
- Prepares annual and customized reports and presentations for senior leadership and university governance bodies, including monitoring student enrolment, retention and graduation rates, student survey outcomes, etc.
- Prepares standard and customized reports and accountability submissions for the Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development (MAESD), Council of Ontario Universities (COU), U15 Data Exchange and other consortia, university rankings agencies, Statistics Canada.
- Uses external data from a variety of sources including Statistics Canada, in combination with institutional data to prepare analysis and reports that address research questions.
Institutional data management:
- Ensures that institutional data is accurate, consistent, properly maintained and shared in compliance with relevant privacy protection, confidentiality and other ethical principles.
- Identifies and addresses data integrity/reliability issues and uses data cleaning processes to achieve required data quality standards.
- Works with large data sets to perform data mining and complete statistical analyses.
- Transforms, synthesizes, and cleanses data: identifies opportunities to reduce duplication and errors and to ensure consistency in data; identifies data integrity issues and proposes data cleansing processes to develop clear and consistent data quality standards.
- Designs and develops user interfaces for accountability reporting using web applications and best practices in data visualization, for example, scorecard and dashboard reporting.
- Helps lead the adoption and standardization of new data analysis tools and techniques, in partnership with stakeholders across campus
Communication
- Develops accurate graphs, reports, dashboards and presentations to convey complex information in an understandable and compelling manner.
- Creates business/analytical models and related user interfaces that allow stakeholders to self-serve and explore planning parameters.
- Ensures data and information is placed into the proper context by combining university data with both qualitative and quantitative environmental/external data and appropriate narrative.
- Communicates with technical and non-technical users to gather data and data system requirements, reporting requirements, consolidate and document technical data requirements, transform data into visualizations, and assist with project planning.
- Ensures timely communication to University leadership, managers, campus support units, Faculties, departments, research groups, appropriate staff through appropriate media, of developments and projects; also communicates on any related events that have the potential to directly or indirectly impact normal services.
- Serves on University, and as appropriate, non-University committees and groups, offering data and analytical expertise and fostering data information sharing and collaborative approaches on a variety of projects.
- Liaises with other departments campus-wide in providing technical support and guidance (e.g., IST)
Student supervision
- Assists with coaching, training and co-op student development to assure student growth and development
- Provides input into regular performance reviews with direct report(s), and supports achievement of performance goals
- Assists with making decisions on the hiring of his/her direct report(s), in consultation with the Managers, Institutional Analysis and Planning
- Institutional Analyst for this position may specialize in one of the following areas of work within the Budget and Resource Planning Team:
- Budget modelling: develops, maintains, and refines institutional resource allocation models and associated business processes. Works with other stakeholders to prepare the annual institutional budget.
- Tuition Rate Setting Support: develops, maintains and enhances tuition modelling to support the institutional tuition rate setting process.
- Financial viability analyses: develops financial viability models and prepares associated analyses in support of overall academic program approval processes.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Business, Social Science Research, or a combination of equivalent experience and education
- Familiarity with the University of Waterloo’s data and institutional planning needs is an asset and previous experience supporting budgeting processes including financial projections and allocations is preferred
- Demonstrated project management, planning, problem solving and analytical skills
- Experience with financial models is an asset
- Data management, manipulation, interpretation and analysis skills
- Demonstrated experience working with large and complex data sets
- Excellent communication and diplomacy skills: ability to converse articulately and diplomatically with university administrators and other campus stakeholders
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team; ability to take initiative and be proactive
- Occasional evening and weekend work may be required at peak times during the university budget cycle
