Institutional Research Analyst

Institutional Research Analyst

The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) is looking for a new member of our analytical team. As part of the Office of the Provost, OIR supports Yale's mission through a variety of analytic activities, data-gathering tasks, external reporting, and internal research projects. The Institutional Research Analyst will join a collaborative team of researchers who draw from diverse backgrounds in social and data sciences to support university decision-making while upholding OIR's mission and team values. This position will work closely with team members in OIR and with stakeholders across the University to design research studies and communicate findings, including through designing and interpreting measures of community experience.

The analyst will work with administrators and/or faculty committees to help them refine and evolve policy research questions that will illuminate opportunities for improvement across the University. The analyst will formulate what data and analyses may bear on that question, and work with clients and OIR colleagues to identify and scope a project to answer it. The analyst will determine what data are relevant to a particular set of issues, thinking creatively and pragmatically about the quantitative and qualitative methods most suited to the client's needs. The analyst will conduct data collection through a variety of means, which may include designing and administering a novel instrument (e.g., web survey; structured interviews) or obtaining data from existing University resources, including various institutional databases. The analyst will determine what statistical technique is most appropriate to a question, carry out analysis, and prepare and present reports. The incumbent will use excellent communication and teaching skills to explain nuanced technical and statistical findings to audiences that range from senior University leaders to members of external regulatory agencies.

Across these activities, the analyst will be expected to access multiple University data sources, and extract, merge, clean, and/or collect relevant data. They will prepare materials and clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, frequently navigating differences in data definitions and technical expertise. The analyst will develop protocols for collection of data and design data-gathering instruments and related procedures. They will test, refine and finalize instruments for use in research studies. The analyst will use advanced statistical knowledge to provide support in managing and analyzing data in an applied context and will provide analytic support to faculty and administrative committees. The analyst will prepare reports and presentations using both text and graphics and will stay aware of Yale leadership's needs and relevant issues in higher education. The position reports to the Director of the Office of Institutional Research.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient in one or more programming languages for statistical analysis and data preparation (e.g., R or Python preferred; SAS, Stata, MATLAB). Proven ability to create large, complex data sets from disparate sources while managing data quality – both for statistical analysis and data management.
• Demonstrated skill in producing visualizations using coded processes (e.g., Tidyverse, Quarto, Shiny).
• Commitment to pairing effective data communication with rigorous research design and analysis. Excellent collaborative interpersonal skills with ability to translate technical information to non-technical audiences, interacting successfully with diverse stakeholders. Exercises sound judgment, tact, and discretion.
• Proven ability as trusted independent operator, handling multiple tasks to meet deadlines; ability to prioritize and follow through on projects. Ability to adapt to changes in work priorities, weighing multiple factors (e.g., mission, client goals, statistical rigor, research ethics, timeline), seeking alternatives and creative solutions.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Develops operational procedures for collection, editing, verification, and management of statistical data.
• Develops and implements relevant statistical programs to incorporate data from multiple projects.
• Designs comprehensive relational databases with working knowledge of the scientific applications impacting on the data analysis and reporting.
• Assists faculty and other research professionals with the formulation and description of appropriate statistical methods.
• Evaluates research studies and recommends statistical procedures to analyze the data.
• Carries out comprehensive statistical analysis for a broad spectrum of types of data and types of studies.
• Integrates the research methodologies of multiple projects into bio-statistical analyses.
• Prepares reports summarizing the analysis of research data, interpreting the findings and providing conclusions and recommendations.
• Presents talks, seminars, or other oral presentations on the methodology and analysis used in scientific studies.
• Assists investigators in preparation of research grant applications by writing research methods sections pertaining to acquisition, analysis, relevance and validity of data.
• Participates in the preparation of manuscripts that are submitted for peer reviewed publication.
• May supervise and provide training for lower level or less experienced employees.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience: Master's Degree in Biostatistics, Statistics, or a related field and four years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.