Senior Research Analyst

Senior Research Analyst

POSITION DETAILS

The Office of Applied Research, Evaluation, and Data Analytics (OAREDA) supports the City University of New York?s (CUNY) mission to advance equity, access, and student success by providing data-driven insights, analytics, and evaluation. This includes maintaining a robust data infrastructure and facilitating actionable conversations across the university system.

The Performance Management Process (PMP) is central to CUNY?s strategic vision, serving as a key mechanism for accountability and continuous improvement. It ensures clarity around University-wide and campus-specific priorities, sets expectations for the academic year, and recognizes progress across the University-system, while recognizing each school?s unique mission, identity, and governance. The PMP translates institutional goals into tangible improvements in student outcomes through data-informed decision-making and strategic planning at all levels, and is meant to engage CUNY Central and college leaders in meaningful conversations around goal-setting, planning, and progress towards University strategic goals.

Reporting to the University Associate Dean for Pre-matriculation Programs and Program Assessment, the Senior Research Analyst will work collaboratively across Central Office teams and with CUNY?s 25 campuses, facilitating interactive dialogues and developing documentation and narratives to support strategic data use, and campus engagement to ensure the effectiveness of the PMP process. The role focuses on fostering meaningful data dialogues, aligning performance goals with actionable outcomes, and enabling campuses to achieve CUNY?s strategic priorities, such as improving retention and reducing equity gaps.

In addition to the CUNY Title Overview information, other key duties include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Provide ongoing year-round support for strategic data use across the University system and serve as a primary liaison between Central Office and the campuses, fostering data-driven conversations and actionable insights.
• Organize and facilitate interactive working meetings to build data fluency among campus leaders and encourage strategic planning through regular interactions and resource sharing.
• Perform detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify performance trends, highlight areas of concern, and recommend evidence-based actionable improvements.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with institutional strategic goals and recommend additional sources of student outcomes data to support equity-focused initiatives.
• Identify and develop strategy to support underdeveloped areas of the PMP, including graduate and professional schools, to ensure comprehensive institutional engagement and consistency in reporting.
• Develop and manage materials for deep dive review meetings, facilitating discussions that address campus-level challenges and successes.
• Lead the development, distribution, and collection of Strategic Academic Reviews (SARs) templates to ensure consistency in reporting and provide feedback to align campus actions with University strategic priorities; collaborate with campus leadership to translate SAR findings into actionable improvement plans and measurable outcomes.
• Serve as a key point of contact for campus institutional research (IR) offices to identify appropriate data sources that may enhance their ability to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Develop and maintain data collection protocols and analytical frameworks that support consistent, high-quality data support, assessment, and evaluation across the University system.

NOTE:

1. Until further notice, this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum:

Bachelor?s degree and six years? related experience required.

Preferred:

• Master?s or Doctoral degree in education, policy, sociology, economics, psychology, or related social science discipline.
• At least five years? experience conducting applied quantitative and/or qualitative research activities, including experience managing projects.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, with the ability to synthesize data into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated skills in advanced quantitative research methods, with expertise in at least one of the following areas: survey methods, propensity score matching, survival analysis, multi-level modeling, difference in differences, regression discontinuity, or similar techniques.
• Experience with matching data sets and manipulating large amounts of data from multiple sources; proficiency with statistical software (STATA and/or R).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with proven ability to communicate complex findings effectively with diverse audiences, including non-technical stakeholders through written executive summaries, reports, and oral presentations.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with experience coordinating large-scale initiatives.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Commitment to issues of equity, access, and student success in higher education.

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Manages College institutional research programs and studies related to the College's mission.

• Develops relevant, timely and accurate institutional information to administrators, the college community, the external community, and external agencies.
• Defines and implements research studies, designing and conducting data analyses and analyzing and interpreting results.
• Researches, develops and recommends policy analyses relevant to anticipated institutional planning, policy, and decision-making needs.
• Participates in college-wide strategic planning, institutional effectiveness and outcomes assessment tasks.
• Respond to data, table and report requests from college constituencies.
• Manage surveys, questionnaires and other data-gathering instruments administered by the Office.
• Manages a library of institutional planning and research documents.
• May consult with faculty and students in the design of databases for research projects
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title Name: Institutional Research Manager

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Associate

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range is $96,602 - $104,057 , commensurate with credentials, education, and experience.

CUNY is in the process of implementing salary schedule increases. Once implemented, salaries of eligible employees will be adjusted by 6.09% with additional increases of 3.25% effective 9/1/2025 and 3.5% effective 9/1/26, in accordance with the terms of the PSC-CUNY collective bargaining agreement.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

For full consideration, submit a cover letter and resume online via CUNY's web-based job system, addressing how your experience and credentials meet the responsibilities and qualifications outlined.

The direct link to the job opening from external sources is:

https://hrsa.cunyfirst.cuny.edu/psc/erecruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMSCG/c/HRS\HRAM\FL.HRS\CG\SEARCH\FL.GBL?Page=HRS\APP\JBPST\FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=30515&PostingSeq=1

Current CUNY employees must apply through CUNYfirst Employee Self Service using their login credentials. After you login, click the Careers tile on the Employee Self Service Menu page to view job openings.

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

Location

Central Office