Senior Director of Data and Analytics

Overview

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) oversees a network of community colleges and colleges of applied technology statewide. Its Office of Research and Innovation is instrumental in advancing postsecondary education access and student achievement through data-driven strategies. Operating within this office, the Data Lab manages system-wide data infrastructure, analytics, and tools that underpin strategic choices and policy initiatives across the institutions.

Role Summary

As the Senior Director of Data and Analytics, you will head the Data Lab, guiding a team responsible for data strategy, workforce data, and business intelligence. Collaborating closely with the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and other key leaders, you will shape analytics direction, translate complex data into actionable insights, and enhance inter-lab partnerships to support innovation and evidence-based decision-making across the Tennessee higher education system.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Data Lab team, establishing project priorities and ensuring alignment with the broader system goals, while guaranteeing timely completion of all initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership to define analytics strategy and oversee analytics and reporting tool development.
• Provide system-wide oversight for data strategy, collection, standards, and infrastructure, ensuring responsiveness to institutional needs.
• Create analytic methodologies that convert data into meaningful insights focused on student access, progression, completion, and alignment with workforce demands.
• Identify emerging data needs and guide the creation of relevant analyses and tools to help leadership recognize trends and improvement opportunities.
• Supervise creation and enhancement of dashboards, public reports, and analytic products, promoting clear and effective data communication for diverse audiences.
• Work collaboratively with Policy and Innovation Labs to develop data-driven resources for policy assessment, innovation projects, planning, and student success efforts.
• Foster strong partnerships with colleges, system office divisions, institutional research teams, state agencies, and external stakeholders to support unified analytic priorities.
• Explore and integrate automation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies to bolster data capabilities and analytic processes.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate degree in higher education, public policy, data analytics, statistics, economics, or related disciplines.
• At least five years of progressive experience in data analytics, research, or related fields.
• Experience handling higher education data or comparable data environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership roles in institutional research, analytics, education policy, or data strategy.
• Experience engaging with college executives, state officials, or governing boards.
• Using data to support policy evaluation, strategic planning, program assessment, and innovation initiatives.
• Familiarity with business intelligence and analytic tools such as Power BI, SQL platforms, and statistical software, with strong oversight capabilities.
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, security, and safe data-sharing standards, including handling personally identifiable information.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong strategic leadership in analytics within complex organizations.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects and deliver high-quality results across various initiatives.
• Trusted advisor capacity to translate technical data into actionable insights for executive decision-making.
• Solid knowledge of higher education data systems, student success metrics, and reporting processes.
• Expertise in developing dashboards and analytic tools tailored to diverse stakeholder needs.
• Effective communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive leaders and practitioners.
• Relationship-building acumen to collaborate across institutional and external boundaries.
• Drive to implement innovative technologies such as AI to enhance data workflows and accessibility.

Working Conditions

This position is primarily remote within Tennessee, requiring occasional visits to the Nashville office at personal expense and potential travel to TBR colleges state-wide.