Application

The AVP reports to the Vice President and Director of the Institutional Transformation Assessment and Strategy and will work closely with the Transforming the Foundational Postsecondary Experience Team. The Transformation Experience is the process by which Gardner Institute engages with college and university partners to transform the institution to promote equitable and just student outcomes. The Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA) constitutes a pivotal step in the Transformation Process, as it launches colleges and universities into a self-assessment prioritization process that guides their strategy and work for equitable student success. This position will  review, re-design, and help administer the ITA, Readiness, Willingness, and Ability survey (RWA) and other surveys administered by Gardner Institute. This position will work closely with the AVP and Assistant Director of the ITA Administration on presenting data for presentation and publication.

General Responsibilities

• Conduct background research on relevant higher education and student success topics.
• Plan and design new surveys for Gardner Institute staff.
• Review, analyze, and redesign surveys, including ITA and RWA tools.
• Test surveys to ensure users understand questions.
• Evaluate the impact of surveys and survey design to improve future survey iterations.
• Analyze survey data using statistical software and techniques.
• Summarize survey data using tables, graphs, and narrative.
• Lead and facilitate sensemaking – facilitated conversations with college and university leaders to prioritize survey findings and establish action plans.
• Lead projects including ITA, RWA, and a variety of internal and external research needs across Gardner Institute process offerings.
• Participate broadly in Gardner Institute discussions, events, and cross-process work.

Preferred Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, business, social science, education or a related field, master’s or advanced degree preferred

Experience

• Three to five years of experience in an educational, institutional research,  or research setting.
• Experience with institutional research, psychometrics, survey methodology, and/or market research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills.
• Strong understanding of relevant higher education and public policies related to equity and undergraduate higher education student success.
• Attention to detail and problem solving, with a demonstrated capacity to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
• A commitment to the Gardner Institute’s mission and valuing diversity, equity and social justice.
• Ability to facilitate diverse groups of professionals for consensus building.

Social Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core values at the Gardner Institute. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for all staff. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by sharing a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.

Working Conditions

• The position may be based anywhere in the United States. This position is home office-based with primary work on a computer, including phone, email and video conferencing.
• Ability to function at a computer or workstation for long periods of time.
• Ability to access reliable internet.
• Ability to travel up to 25 percent of the time, including periodic travel to the home office in Brevard, NC and ability to primarily work hours consistent with the Eastern Time Zone.
• All employees must show proof of COVID-19 Vaccinations (up to date with all eligible for their age groups).

The Gardner Institute is a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. The Gardner Institute encourages applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals with disabilities. We deeply value and seek the expertise and lived experience of persons who reflect the diverse 21st century student population.

All employees are at-will employees. This means the employee or the Institute may terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason or no reason.