Chief Data Officer

• Data Pipeline & Model Operations: Actively audit, build, and optimize institutional data workflows, predictive models, and reporting structures alongside the core data analyst team.
• Student Success Analytics: Responsible for the analysis of complex datasets related to student enrollment, engagement, retention, course offering optimization, and student support services to yield actionable insights.
• Self-Service & Dashboard Development: Responsible for the design, deploy, and maintain user-friendly dashboards and self-service analytics platforms for academic and administrative decision-makers.
• Privacy Framework Operationalization: Establish, maintain, and enforce robust data privacy protocols aligned with FERPA, state privacy regulations, and industry standards across all campus data handling practices.
• Access Controls & Data Minimization: Work directly with data stewards and IT security teams to define, audit, and maintain role-based access controls, data retention schedules, and data minimization practices.
• Privacy Audits & Risk Assessments: Conduct practical data privacy assessments and security risk evaluations across administrative departments, academic units, and third-party software integrations.
• Ethical Data Management: Establish campus-wide standards for ethical data collection, algorithmic transparency, and responsible AI usage in student monitoring and institutional analytics.
• Data Integrity & Standard Enforcement: Develop and directly supervise data quality standards, data dictionaries, and master data management across core enterprise platforms.
• Policy Translation: Translate abstract governance policies into practical, day-to-day operational workflows, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and data stewardship guidelines.
• Infrastructure Coordination: Partner closely with the CIO to ensure institutional data architecture, cloud storage, and ETL pipelines align with operational needs and scalability.
• Academic & Administrative Alignment: Build collaborative relationships with Associate Provosts, Deans, Vice Presidents, and department heads to identify critical data needs and deliver custom analytical solutions.
• Data Literacy & Capability Building: Responsible for the hands-on training sessions and workshops for faculty and staff to build practical data literacy and self-service capabilities across campus.

• Master’s degree in Data Analytics, Computer Science, information Systems, Statistics, Higher Education Administration or related field.
• 8 years of related work experience
• Experience with database languages, business intelligence/data visualization tools, data modeling, and complex reporting environments.

• Experience in higher education, including familiarity with Student Information Systems (like Ellucian Banner, Workday)
• Doctorate degree in a related field of study
• Significant experience with analytics tools and platforms.
• Demonstrated management and supervisory abilities.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to form collaborative relationships with other university offices including academic colleges and units
• The ability to prioritize and manage multiple, simultaneous projects with attention to detail and adherence to deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from a variety of communities and cultures
• Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and procedures governing data confidentiality and security.
• Advanced knowledge of analytics methods in higher education, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

WSU offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, long-term disability, life insurance, retirement, a wellness program with release time and paid incentives, tuition benefits, free tickets to athletic and performing arts events, and paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave.