Job Title: Director, Institutional Research and Planning
Location: Centralia College
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 10626
About Us

Centralia College is located on a 30-acre campus in the heart of Centralia, Washington and has been serving students in the Lewis County region since 1925. As a comprehensive community college, Centralia College offers academic transfer and workforce programs, as well as adult basic education, ELL, and personal enrichment classes. The college also offers five Bachelor of Applied Science degrees: Information Technology - Application Development, Diesel Technology, Applied Management (Business), Behavioral Healthcare and Teacher Education.

In addition to the main campus in Centralia, Centralia College East in Morton is a smaller site that serves the needs of students in east Lewis County. Since the college is committed to the success of all students, Centralia College also provides educational programs at two corrections centers in southwest Washington - Garrett Heyns Education Center located in Shelton, Washington and the Cedar Creek Corrections Center located in Littlerock, Washington. In addition to Green Hill School in Chehalis, Washington. In total, the college serves more than 7,000 students annually. For more than 90 years, several generations of Lewis County residents have looked to Centralia College for their education and training needs.

For more information on Centralia College and what it can do for you, please call 360-736-9391 or visit www.centralia.edu.

Job Description

The position may be hired at the Director or Executive Director level dependent on education/experience. This is an administrative exempt position reporting to the President and serves on the President’s Executive Management Team, coordinates, manages, and integrates institutional research to serve educational assessment and institutional effectiveness goals. Duties include collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data to support college-wide and program level needs.

The position requires flexible hours and, upon occasion, extended workweeks including evening and weekend hours. This position shall place primary focus on linking research to planning by assisting the college in answering these three questions: Where is the college now? Where is the college going? How can the college best arrive at its desired end?

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide leadership and vision for the role and use of data, information, and research in the continuous improvement and decision-making processes of departments, programs, individuals, and the college. As such, the position is the lead office in creating a culture of evidence and data supported decision making throughout the college. Ensure that the college complies with mandatory data reporting and data exchange. Design, conduct, and report on institutional surveys and research.Monitor emerging issues through the Research and Planning Commission (RPC), and other professional networks, to anticipate how such issue might apply to Centralia College and make recommendations for implementing a course of action.Provide the college with performance data, assessment tools, and research design and methodology to support accountability in monitoring reports to the Board of Trustees, accreditation, program approval, external reporting, internal program review, and special studies.Ensure the accuracy of the college’s IPEDS data in cooperation with the State Board for Community and Technical College.Assist the college’s efforts in enrollment and financial management by providing labor and market research, trend analysis, forecasting, and environmental scanning to the short term, long term, and strategic planning processes. Provide data and analysis on enrollment tactics, student graduation, retention and progression rates, and college climate.Conduct detailed data analyses of measures of success, advising individuals regarding the appropriateness and availability of data for the indicators of success.Provide consultation to faculty members on student outcomes and educational assessment.Assist Instruction with academic program feasibility studies, including industry and educational trend analysis.Ensure high levels of data integrity, coordinating data collection definitions and criteria with college offices, providing feedback regarding data anomalies, and ensuring integrity of data sent to and received from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.Extract, manipulate, and analyze complex data from SMS, PPMS, IPEDS, SBCTC Data Warehouse, National Student Clearinghouse, and other sources.Provide training to college employees with respect to the collection and appropriate use of research information.Lead an advisory group of campus stakeholders to provide input to research priorities and feedback on findings.Produce accurate and timely reports to outside agencies and ensure compliance with federal and state reporting authorities.Design, implement, and manage the colleges Human Subjects Review process.Observe the ethical guidelines for research design and for protecting and reporting data.

Qualifications

Master’s degree with a focus on research preferred.

OR

Bachelor’s degree only with significant education and two (2) years work experience in research methods and design, quantitative and qualitative methods, statistics, tests, and measurements

Required Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate research projects, work effectively in a team setting, direct project support staff where needed, and lead effective meetings requiring the participation of multiple work units
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team setting
• Proficiency in survey design and analysis including web-based, telephone, mail, in-house, focus group and mixed mode surveys
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing especially in presenting information in an understandable, concise and quality manner to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to provide leadership and vision for the role and use of information, data, and research in all areas of planning and decision-making
• Ability to apply research tools and information to address strategic planning goals and procedures
• Ability to create a planned strategy for building awareness of issues the campus should address – either new opportunities or needed change
• Ability to use and select appropriate technology for improved data integrity, reporting, research, and communication to enable leadership to make data-informed decisions
• Demonstrated proficiency with computer-based data collection, manipulation, extraction, analysis, and presentation techniques, statistical software and equipment preferably including use of the SBCTC data warehouse and national databases using a variety of technologies
• Demonstrated ability to locate and critically evaluate published and unpublished research reports pertaining to subject areas relevant to higher education research, planning, assessment, institutional effectiveness, and student outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of staff and with individuals of various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds

Preferred Qualifications

• Five years or more of progressive responsibility in leading and directing statistical and research analysis, preferably in a higher education setting
• Previous experience with managing a one-person institutional research office
• Previous experience in a community college setting
• Experience with higher education strategic planning and outcomes assessment
• Specific training in institution research, e.g., Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Basic and Advanced Institutes and/or AIR Forums and Conferences
• Member Association for Institutional Research

Conditions of Employment

Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14, all employees who work for Centralia College must be fully vaccinated no later than October 18, 2021. Please contact Erica Holmes (she/her/hers) at hro@centralia.edu if you need information on medical accommodation or religious exemption.

This is a twelve (12) month per year, full-time administrative exempt position. This position may be hired at the Director or Executive Director level dependent on education/experience. The salary is $87,540 - $102,000 (DOQ/DOE) annually depending on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. The state of Washington provides a comprehensive benefits package for state employees. The position may participate in the TIAA/CREF retirement system.

DEADLINE: The screening committee will begin their review on October 27, 2021. Position is open until filled.

Compensation

Annual Salary: $87,540 - $102,000 (DOQ/DOE)

Application Process

Interested candidates may apply by submitting the following items:

• Online Application
• Cover Letter that addresses your interest in the position and ability to perform the responsibilities described in this announcement.
• Detailed résumé of all educational and professional experience that demonstrates how you meet the qualifications.
• List of at least three professional references with contact information. References are typically contacted after interviews.

Eligibility to Work

If you are hired, you will need proof of Covid-19 vaccination, proof of identity, and documentation of U.S. citizenship or legal authorization to work.

Background Check

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position.

EEO Statement

Centralia College has a strong institutional commitment to the principles of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we strongly urge all qualified applicants, especially people of color, persons of disability, women, and disabled and Vietnam era veterans, to apply. Centralia College is an Equal Opportunity employer.

It is the policy of Centralia College to assure equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age (over 40), religion, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.

Centralia College does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. Designated Title II, VI, VII, IX, Section 504, ADA compliance officer: Vice President for Human Resources and Equity, Hanson Hall Room 101, Centralia College, 600 Centralia College Blvd, Centralia WA 98531-4099, (360)623-8943.

The Human Resources Office is accessible for persons with disabilities. Those who need disability accommodation in the application/employment process, please call (360) 623-8943.

Jeanne Clery Statement

Notice of Availability of Annual Security Report—Centralia College's Annual Crime/Security Report is available here, containing mandated information about current campus policies concerning safety and security issues, required statistics, and other related information. To obtain a paper copy of the report, please call 360-623-8947.

Title IX Statement

Centralia College is compliant with Title IX best practices. For more information visit, Title IX.