Director of Strategic Data Analysis and Planning, Penn GSE in Bristol

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

As an employer, Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia, situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities.

The Director of Strategic Data Analysis and Planning is a senior strategic partner to the Dean, Chief of Staff, and school leadership, responsible for leading institutional research, analysis, and planning in support of schoolwide decision-making. Reporting to the Chief of Staff and based in the Dean’s Office, the Director serves as the central integrator of data and analysis across GSE, bringing together information from multiple systems and domains to support strategic planning, resource allocation, program review, and institutional storytelling.

The Director also serves as the primary school liaison to the University’s Office of Institutional Research, coordinating institutional data requests, aligning definitions and methodologies, and ensuring consistency between school-level analysis and University reporting. The Director leads complex cross-cutting analyses, and translates leadership questions into coherent, actionable insights.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary analytic partner to the Dean’s Office and School academic and administrative leadership on schoolwide strategic questions.
• Design and deliver integrative analyses that draw on multiple data systems (e.g., enrollment, programs, staffing, budget, space, and outcomes) to support decisions related to strategy, goals, resource allocation, new initiatives, and implementation of Together for Good.
• Develop and maintain a small, high-value set of dashboards, briefing materials, and analytic routines that provide leaders with a consistent, trusted picture of institutional performance and emerging issues.
• Translate complex analyses into clear narratives, visuals, and recommendations that support timely and confident decision-making.
• Lead institutional research in support of internal and external program reviews, new program proposals, accreditation- or compliance-related analysis, and long-range planning efforts.
• Partner with academic and administrative leaders to interpret data in context and connect findings to concrete planning and improvement actions.
• Establish analytic standards and expectations, moving the school toward a proactive and disciplined planning agenda and a culture of data-informed decision-making.
• Convene and coordinate GSE’s network of data stewards across key functional areas, serving as a neutral integrator and convener for cross-cutting data questions.
• Work with stewards to clarify shared definitions, improve data quality, identify gaps, and prioritize integration and reporting needs.
• Serve as GSE’s primary point of contact with the University’s Office of Institutional Research & Analysis (IR&A) on institutional data standards, reporting, and cross-school analyses.
• Support the Dean’s Office, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, and other units in communicating a clear, accurate, and compelling institutional story to internal and external audiences.
• Provide leadership and direction for the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, including supervision of an Associate Director.
• Lead special projects as assigned by the Dean or Chief of Staff.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor of Science and 5+ years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong consultative capabilities: translating ambiguous questions into analytic work plans, aligning stakeholders, and delivering on tight timelines.
• Experience with student, HR, finance, and/or CRM systems (e.g., Slate, Workday, Salesforce, Qlik, or similar) and translating operational processes into analytic definitions.
• Demonstrated ability to independently extract, validate, and integrate data across multiple systems.
• Familiarity with data governance practices (shared definitions, data stewardship networks, documentation, and change control).
• Skilled in data visualization and institutional storytelling for both internal governance audiences and external stakeholders.
• Experience with SQL tools, business intelligence and visualization platforms, statistical/analysis tools, spreadsheet and reporting tools, and institutional systems.

Penn offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.