Western Governors University
Senior Data Analyst - Institutional Research
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $88K - $132K
💻 Data Science
🗓️ August 24th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
WGU is hiring a Senior Data Analyst - Institutional Research to lead the delivery of accurate, actionable institutional data to accrediting bodies and internal stakeholders. The role involves interpreting compliance requirements, building data visualizations, resolving data quality issues, and supporting executive decision-making to enhance transparency and accountability in higher education.
Highlights
- Lead submission of institutional data (enrollment, outcomes, HR, financial aid) to accrediting bodies such as IPEDS
- Partner with internal teams to ensure compliance and accreditation data needs are met
- Develop dynamic data visualizations and narratives that drive institutional action
- Investigate and resolve data integrity and consistency issues
- Collaborate with Data Engineering and BI teams to promote analytics standards
- Manage complex projects with autonomy and reliability
- Proficient in SQL with skills in joins, window functions, CTEs, and performance tuning
- Expertise in Tableau, Power BI, and other data visualization tools
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience with 5+ years in data analysis, BI, or institutional research
- Experience with descriptive and inferential statistics and familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, or SDLC methodologies
Senior Data Analyst - Institutional Research Full Description
Senior Data Analyst - Institutional Research
Salt Lake City Office
Full time
If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.
Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.
The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.
At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Grade: Professional 310Pay Range: $88,300.00 - $132,400.00
Grade: Professional 310Pay Range: $88,300.00 - $132,400.00
Job Description
The Institutional Analytics and Research (IAR) team supports and enables most university teams, departments, and colleges to make data-informed decisions that lead to better student outcomes. Our analysts, scientists, researchers, and managers are distributed across several teams: Institutional Research, Outreach Analytics, Faculty Analytics, Curriculum Analytics, and Student Success Analytics.
About the Role
As a Senior Data Analyst on our Institutional Research team, you’ll lead the charge in delivering accurate, actionable data to both external accrediting bodies and internal compliance stakeholders. Your work will directly support WGU’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in higher education.
This is a high-visibility role where you’ll turn complex data into insights that inform executive decision-making, drive institutional reporting, and help ensure compliance with evolving accreditation standards.
What You’ll Do
- Submit accurate, timely institutional data to accrediting bodies (e.g., IPEDS) related to enrollment, outcomes, HR, and financial aid
- Partner with internal stakeholders to meet compliance and accreditation data needs
- Interpret new compliance requirements and ensure internal alignment
- Build dynamic data visualizations and compelling narratives that drive action
- Investigate and resolve data quality issues to ensure integrity and consistency
- Collaborate with Data Engineering and BI teams to promote analytics standards
- Manage complex tasks and mini-projects with autonomy and reliability
What You Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field (or equivalent experience)
- 5+ years in data analysis, BI, or institutional research
- Strong SQL skills—joins, window functions, CTEs, performance tuning
- Expertise in Tableau, Power BI, and other data visualization tools
- Experience applying descriptive and inferential statistics
- Familiarity with project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, SDLC)
- Strong command of Excel and the full MS Office suite
- Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take initiative
Bonus Points For
- Experience working in higher education analytics
- Familiarity with IPEDS and other compliance or accreditation reporting standards
Work Location:
- This is a full-time, in-office position at WGU’s headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. You’ll work side-by-side with a multidisciplinary team of analysts, researchers, and educators committed to data-informed innovation.
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Position & Application Details
Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.
Additional Information
Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.
Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.
