Senior Institutional Research Analyst

Position Summary Under the supervision of the Manager, Integrated Analysis and Planning, the Senior Analyst will support the coordination, design, extraction, compilation, analysis, reporting and presentation of institutional data on students, faculty, instructional activities, program outcomes, institutional effectiveness, and other aspects of the internal or external environment as requested. The Senior Institutional Research Analyst will regularly interact and collaborate with other members of the Institutional Research & Planning Office, departments throughout the university and external partners. The results of the work completed by the Senior Institutional Research Analyst will provide valuable information and strategic insight for the University's most senior leaders, contributing directly to decision-making and strategic planning. This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Waterloo campus. Accountabilities Transform, interpret and present findings of internal and external analytical models, data and reports for internal evidence-based decision-making and planning purposes and external reporting Develop and conduct complex, customized analysis to support University or division-level strategic planning. Analyze trends and patterns in institutional data and performance Analyze survey instruments and results that reach internal and external constituents. Provide support to the development of qualitative and quantitative reports for various external constituents such as the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) and Statistics Canada Improve, and assist with the automation of current data gathering, analysis and reporting in conjunction with functional area experts, data team members, administrators, and others Provide expertise, analysis and support related to other departmental and institutional priorities Develop accurate analysis, graphs and presentations on university wide data to convey complex information in an understandable and compelling manner Communicate with technical and non-technical users to gather data, reporting and analytical requirements. Qualifications 3-5 years of prior experience in designing, conducting and/or presenting research, including data design, extraction, compilation, analysis and reporting of data. Bachelor’s degree that utilizes quantitative research methods and statistics Experience with sophisticated research projects understanding appropriate methodologies such as multivariate analytic techniques, statistical analysis, predictive modeling, survey design, sampling strategies, and data visualization Proficiency with research design, statistical procedures and analytics including the ability to conduct complex, customized analysis and consider a variety of creative, unique problem-solving approaches Ability to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research Proficiency with statistical packages (such as SPSS, Stata) is required. Experience working with databases, including extracting, evaluating and manipulating data for reporting and analytical purposes using query tools and/or programming language (e.g., SQL) is preferred Experience with text analytics or other specialized machine learning techniques is preferred Experience with financial analysis and modelling is an asset Ability to prepare reports and presentations that communicate analyses and research findings in an effective manner Ability to take a systems approach for each analysis and understand how the analysis fits into or will impact the university system or business processes involved Highly motivated, optimistic, focused and results oriented Knowledge of, exposure to, and deep interest in higher education Excellent organizational skills, accuracy and detail orientation with an ability to manage multiple assignments using various data sources and the ability to prioritize across a wide variety of projects with competing deadlines Effective interpersonal and liaison skills including the proven ability to interact effectively with and establish collaborative relationships with internal and external constituencies. Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate well to a wide variety of end users including senior leaders in both one-on-one situations and in larger group meetings Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive data and information pertaining to the responsibilities of the position Expertise with Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Willingness and ability to learn new technologies on the job This position is deemed eligible for educational equivalencies. Hours of Work: This is a full-time continuing role. The normal hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:30am until 4:30pm. Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to events. When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week. This position is eligible for a flexible work arrangement, as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy). All arrangement must be approved by the direct manager. In-person attendance for events, as required to meet operational needs, is expected. On occasion, this schedule may need to be adjusted to meet operational requirements.  Compensation: Level: E Rate of Pay: $42.83 to $45.28 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to 48.95 per hour. Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.  Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors. Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at  Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form. Please note, when pre-screening questions are used as part of the application process, AI is utilized to score responses. All other aspects of the hiring process are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team.