LDA Data Analyst, Herbert College of Agriculture Dean's Office: UTK

The Data Analyst position supports the data and analytic functions of Herbert College of Agricultures Dean’s office and collects, analyzes, synthesizes, and presents institutional and external data related to academic program planning, student success, operational efficacy, strategic planning, and other factors that impact funding and reporting requirements for both internal and external audiences. This is a Limited Duration Appointment for one year.

This position plays a critical role in supporting enrollment growth, program development, and student success by providing actionable data and fostering cross-functional collaboration among multiple departments within the College. The role involves overseeing data systems and collaborating closely with teams across marketing/branding, enrollment, student success, and academic engagement to ensure data and institutional initiatives align with College goals and priorities.

This position will drive the development of data systems and reporting frameworks, enabling the Dean’s office to make informed decisions that enhance both the learner experience and drive organizational success. Translation of data into usable information for the Herbert College community is a key function of this position.

Responsibilities

Statistical Analysis, Data Requests and Developing Reports:

• Access, analyze, and write reports on academic data (e.g., enrollment, program quality, majors, demographics, scholarships);

• Develop and maintain various planning scenarios as requested by college management, such as enrollment figures significantly above or below target expectations, implementation of new academic programs, or possible impacts of increasing online courses and enrollments

• Analyze, interpret, and communicate departmental performance in the contexts of total funding, total credit hour production, funding/FTE, credit hour production/FTE, students graduated by type of degree and degree program, graduate student placement, faculty publications and citations, external faculty awards etc.

• Analyze, interpret, and communicate College performance with respect to student outcomes such as retention and graduation rates across demographic and departmental groups.

• Partner with student success teams to monitor retention, progression, and engagement metrics, ensuring timely interventions for at-risk students.

• Work closely with marketing/branding and enrollment teams to analyze campaign performance and optimize lead generation and conversion strategies.

• Collaborate with faculty to assess course performance and identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.

• Analyze, interpret, and communicate individual faculty performance in the context of college expectations, departmental expectations, and the Faculty Handbook.

• Create direct access to "clean datasets" to empower users (e.g. department heads) with the ability to extract data that are specific to their needs.

• Generate Ad hoc analyses and dynamic visuals that enable the Dean’ office to demonstrate to key constituents of university administration, advisory groups, and other internal and external parties the effective leveraging of resources to drive College progress toward the next level.

• Engage with all levels of personnel in numerous campus offices (e.g., IRSA, OIT, EM) for information exchange and problem resolution relative to data integrity and data reporting. Testing and providing feedback regarding reports and dashboards they generate and publish on data.utk.edu.

• Participate in professional associations and conferences that benefit the processes for the collection, management, analysis and communication of data for the College.

• Link all data reports with financial data (e.g., faculty course load with student credit hour generation)

Financial Monitoring, Reporting, and Variance Analysis:

• Produce and maintain financial and operating reports from DASH, Excel, Access, Argos, Power BI, Tableau and other software platforms

• Analyze and produce actuals vs budget variance reports on revenue sources, personnel expenditures, operating expenses, allocated expenses from support units, support from endowment and gift accounts, and reserve fund balances

• Provide expert advice and guidance to college management regarding the impacts and implications of the variance analyses

• Identify and research trends and adjust models

• Adjust forecasts, long-range plans, and scenario models to account for the impact of the variances

• Develop financial forecasts for projected year-end revenue totals, direct expenditures, key expenditures such as financial aid and waivers; update forecasts monthly to keep College leadership up to date on year-end projections for operating margins, surpluses or deficits, and reserve balances

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive data analytics strategy aligned with Herbert’s Learning goals, focusing on growth and student-centric outcomes.

• Serve as a strategic partner to marketing/branding, enrollment, student success, and academic engagement teams, integrating data insights into shared initiatives.

• Create and present reports and visualizations that communicate insights to leadership and key partners in a clear and actionable manner.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or another related field.

• Experience:

  • Three years of work experience in post-secondary administration or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience; and experience with statistical data analysis.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrated experience in data collection, cleaning, and management.

• Excellent analytical skills including knowledge of descriptive and predictive statistics.

• Expert knowledge of statistical software and data visualization tools (e.g. SPSS, Tableau, Power BI, SAS, Power Query, Argos), and survey software (Qualtrics).

• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively through excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Exemplar interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks with frequent interruptions.

• Ability to process data with high attention to detail, quality, and accuracy.

• Ability to learn and implement new skills quickly.

• Exceptional knowledge of Microsoft Office products, specifically Excel, Access, Visio, and Outlook.

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

• Skilled in working effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a varied community.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Education:

  • Master’s degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, or Higher Education

• Experience:

  • Five years of work experience in post-secondary administration; expertise in statistical data analysis, predictive modeling, and planning; high level of experience using statistical software packages (SPSS) and data visualization tools; and experience managing data quality processes and project management.

  • Experience working in higher education environment.

• Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

  • Experience with Oracle Fusion platform.

Work Location:

• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT market range: MR10

• Anticipated hiring range: $65,000 to $70,000

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions:

To express interest, please apply with the noted below attachments:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before October 7, 2026.

About The College/Department/Division:

Herbert College of Agriculture has the benefit of being affiliated with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, which is particularly devoted to the University’s land grant mission through its AgResearch and UT Extension units, both of which provide historically strong links with businesses in and out of the state. Herbert has approximately 1,800 undergraduate students enrolled in 10 majors across seven academic departments and one school, plus nearly 300 graduate students enrolled across seven academic departments and one school.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!