Senior Director, Research and Analytics

Senior Director, Research and Analytics

Position Description

(Full-time Staff Member)

February 2025

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Research and Analytics is an integral member of Summit Education Initiative’s (SEI) leadership team who understands that data can shine a light on the path to improvement and equity. This hands-on leader conducts complex analyses, manages our data collection and reporting infrastructure, directs the data team and interacts with a variety of audiences. The Senior Director converts data into meaningful insights and effectively communicates with team members, partners, and the community to inspire and drive action.

Key Responsibilities

·        Provide day-to-day management and leadership to all research and data management staff.

·        Translate data into actionable information and communicate with cross-sector strategy teams and stakeholders, directing attention toward solutions that eliminate inequitable outcomes for students.

·        Develop and oversee accurate, secure data collection and reporting systems that deliver appropriate content such as tables, charts, graphs and narratives for a variety of audiences.

·        Provide statistical and analytic expertise to school and community partners on key education-related topics, including equity gap analysis, goal setting and progress monitoring.

·        Coordinate data collection and program evaluations with staff.

·        Conduct original investigations and analyses to refine SEI’s existing predictive models.

·        Lead the delivery of Summit Education Initiative’s Annual Report on cradle to career outcomes and leading indicators of success, including print and online reporting tools, highlighting successes and opportunities for improvement and increased equity.

·        Present data to community teams, education forums and other public groups, both in person and through oversight of data content on the SEI website.

·        Manage and coordinate all data-related projects to ensure consistency and quality.

·        Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

·        Doctoral degree (PhD) in Social Science, Computer Science, or a related field. Minimum of 5 years of experience in research methodology, analysis, and program evaluation; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

·        Strong mathematical and statistical knowledge. Strong familiarity with data management processes and database systems. Advanced knowledge of educational/social science research processes, data collection options, predictive analytics, and methodologies (including but not limited to, inferential statistics, multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, ANOVA and Chi-Square analyses).

·        Demonstrated expertise in SPSS, Stata, SAS, Python, or R. Experience with cloud services a plus.

·        Impeccable attention to detail.

·        Ability to develop reports, communicate verbally and with written documentation. Skillful in providing support to partners working with data. Proven interpersonal skills and ability to manage conflict, mediate, build trust and maintain effective working relationships with community partners and staff.

·        Ability to define issues and problems, summarize facts, and arrive at valid conclusions. Ability to analyze situations, make decisions and provide direction to address challenges. Ability to utilize evaluation data to improve or correct services.

·        Must have excellent organizational, listening, and analytical skills. Must be able to communicate with a wide variety of audiences. Must be able to handle multiple-responsibilities and answer to a variety of audiences at one time. Commitment to using systems thinking and facilitation skills to drive systemic improvement and equity. Understanding of continuous improvement processes and their use in supporting systemic change.

·        Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex tasks concurrently with tight deadlines. A genuine commitment to engaging schools, community partners and families to support student success and equitable outcomes, from cradle to career. Strong cultural and political awareness of the Akron and Summit County, Ohio community.

Compensation and Benefits

·        Salaried, full-time position, 40 hours/week.

·        Compensation will be commensurate with experience with a target starting salary of $75k per year.

·        Health, dental, and vision coverage for employees.

·        Participation in SEI’s 403b retirement savings program after eligibility period.

·        Hybrid work environment; some flexibility for remote work.

This job specification should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the position’s exclusive standards. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required by their supervisor.

Summit Education Initiative is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law. We welcome everyone and foster a supportive environment where all feel valued and included.

Summit Education Initiative

Office: Schrank Hall South | 240 Carroll Street, Suite 215 | Akron, OH 44325

Mail: 185 E. Mill Street | Akron, Ohio 44325

330.535.8833

www.seisummit.org