Institutional Data Analyst
Application Procedure:
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
Job Duties
POSITION SPECIFICS
The Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR) at Penn State is seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Institutional Data Analyst to support the University’s required state and federal reporting. This position is central to the preparation and submission of official data reports to federal and state agencies, higher education consortia, and national rankings organizations.
The successful candidate will work closely with Institutional Reporting Specialists, Programmers, and campus stakeholders to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of data submissions, including but not limited to IPEDS, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), AAUP, and college rankings surveys (e.g., U.S. News & World Report, Common Data Set).
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead or support the preparation and submission of required institutional reports to external agencies, including IPEDS, PDE, AAUDE, and other mandated surveys
- Coordinate and complete data submissions for national rankings and benchmarking efforts (e.g., Common Data Set, U.S. News, AAUDE)
- Develop, manage, and maintain complex SQL queries, views, and stored procedures to extract and validate data from institutional databases for reporting and analysis
- Create data visualizations and dashboards to communicate trends, comparisons, and key metrics to internal stakeholders
- Ensure data accuracy and compliance by identifying and resolving data quality issues, monitoring changes in reporting requirements, and maintaining alignment with federal and state regulations
- Document and manage reporting processes by maintaining clear records of data definitions, methodologies, and submission timelines to support transparency and repeatability
Job Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Degree in data science, statistics, education, public policy, computer science, or a related field
- Demonstrated proficiency in SQL for querying and manipulating data in relational databases
- Experience with federal and state reporting requirements in higher education (e.g., IPEDS, PDE)
- Experience creating data visualizations using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Excel, or similar platforms
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and integrity
- Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical data to non-technical audiences
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Office 365
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with national higher education data exchanges and associations (AAUDE, APLU, AIR, etc.)
- Experience completing required reporting across a multi-campus system
- Experience with student information systems (e.g., Banner, PeopleSoft)
Institution Description
About Us
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our 100,000 students and 40,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom – it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world.
Our ideals stem from our origins as Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, which allow us to continue to bring positive impact to humanity through our teaching, research, and engagement mission. And across the world is a community of Penn Staters – more than half a million strong – driven by that same spirit to serve our local and global communities.
At Penn State, passion is met with collaboration in an environment that is rooted in shared pride for the accomplishments of our fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Penn Staters cheer each other on to build a culture committed to service and engagement.
Our University values represent our core ethical aspirations for all our daily activities and actions as students, faculty, staff, and volunteers at Penn State. Our values are as follows; Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community.
We Are Penn State.
Benefits
SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $61,800.00 - $89,600.00.Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
Application Due Date: 2025-11-30
Job Start Date: 2026-01-05
Salary: $61800 - $89600
City: University Park
State/Province/Region: PA
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Reports To: Director of Institutional Reporting
Staff # Reporting to Position: 0
Reports In Office: Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR)
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