The Council of Independent Colleges, located in Washington, DC, is the major national service organization for all small and mid-sized independent, liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States.
Available Positions
Director of Strategic Research
The Council of Independent Colleges seeks a full-time Director of Strategic Research and Assessment. Reporting to the Vice President for Member Engagement, this position is responsible for CIC’s internal understanding of member engagement, developing and reporting on the efficacy and outcomes of CIC programming, and monitoring the external forces that have an impact on member institutions. The Director of Strategic Research and Assessment also works closely with the Membership Services and Tuition Exchange Program Manager and helps ensure CIC data systems are operating at optimal levels.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Research (Member Engagement)
- Develop and continually improve CIC’s member engagement data collection and tracking program
- Utilize member engagement data in a collaborative fashion with CIC colleagues to understand and improve CIC offerings
- Create externally facing insights based on member data that provide actionable information about CIC member institutions and their engagement with CIC
- Establish data governance policies, practices, and procedures to ensure CIC data is optimally structured to be useful for internal and external audiences
Strategic Evaluation (Programmatic Assessment)
- Provide guidance and support for all CIC program and project assessment
- Support evaluation of and reporting on grant funded initiatives
- Oversee and manage CIC research programs and consultants
- Develop CIC’s evaluation schedule and outcomes for programs, networks, and projects
Strategic Insights (Sector Trends)
- Leverage member engagement and program evaluation data to better understand the issues of most importance to CIC members
- Monitor and evaluate external data sources and reports for important insights and trends that benefit CIC members
- Collaborate to offer timely and useful insights about current developments and trends affecting CIC institutions and their offerings
Required Experience and Skills
- Masters degree in Information Science, Statistics, Behavioral Sciences or Education required; PhD preferred
- 3-5 years experience managing institutional research preferred
- Proactive personality with the ability to resolve issues under pressure while maintaining a high degree of professionalism
- Ability to work independently as well as in a highly collaborative and collegial environment
- Positive attitude and the ability to inspire and lead change
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to organize and track complex processes
- Strong familiarity with Microsoft Suite; additional familiarity with Apple products a plus
- Knowledge of Microsoft CRM; experience with Protech Dynamics 365 and Association Analytics/Acumen ideal
- Ability to travel on occasion is required, including attendance at CIC’s annual conferences for presidents and for chief academic officers.
- This position requires the ability to see, hear, and speak; work in a normal seated position for extended periods of time; use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds; manually operate standard office equipment such as keyboards and printers; and move throughout an office or conference space.
About CIC
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), located in Washington, DC, is the major national membership organization for small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities in the United States. Membership includes more than 700 colleges, universities, and higher education organizations. CIC pursues a threefold mission: supporting and developing campus leaders, advancing the excellence of member institutions, and enhancing public understanding of the contributions independent higher education makes to society. A diverse 30-person staff, headquartered at Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, develops and manages a dynamic set of conferences, networks, projects, and programs; member services, research, and public information initiatives; and a range of other activities to advance all three mission areas. CIC’s full-time staff is augmented with senior advisors and higher education experts who contribute to specific projects and programs. For more information about CIC and its programs and services, please visit www.cic.edu.
Working at CIC
CIC is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive compensation and benefits. Full-time CIC staff are based in the DC office, with the option to work remotely on two designated days (currently Thursday and Friday) per week. Work hours are flexible around designated “core hours” (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
CIC offers a generous benefits package that includes majority of family premium coverage of health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement plan employer contribution match; a flexible spending account; short- and long-term disability insurance; and life insurance. Employees and their dependents may be eligible to participate in CIC’s Tuition-Exchange Program. CIC recognizes 11 paid holidays per year and provides 20 days of annual leave.
Salary range for this position: $120,000.00 – $140,000.00 per year
Application Procedures
The position is available immediately and will remain open until the successful candidate is appointed. To apply, submit a resume and a letter of interest to CICJobs@cic.edu with the subject line “Director of Strategic Research and Assessment.” For priority consideration, apply by Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
CIC is an equal opportunity employer and seeks a broad and diverse pool of applicants.