Executive Director - Operational Data Analytics and Reporting - 991427

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Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was founded in 1964, and is a not-for-profit, independent university with a reputation for academic excellence and innovation. Nova Southeastern University offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package including tuition waiver, retirement plan, excellent medical and dental plans and much more. NSU cares about the health and welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors and is a tobacco-free university.

We appreciate your support in making NSU the preeminent place to live, work, study and grow. Thank you for your interest in a career with Nova Southeastern University.

Primary Purpose:

The Executive Director (ED), Operational Data Analytics and Reporting will lead the university's efforts to transform key enterprise-wide financial and operational data into actionable insights that drive strategic decision-making. This role will partner with senior leaders in understanding business needs and translating them into data and analytic requirements, directing process enhancements where needed to support alignment of data collection and management with organizational reporting goals. The ED will work closely with Finance and IT Business Intelligence to implement an integrated framework that delivers timely and comprehensive analytical reporting solutions, leveraging industry best-practices and relevant benchmarking where applicable.

Job Category: Exempt

Hiring Range:  Commensurate with experience

Pay Basis:  Annually

Subject to Grant Funding? No  

Essential Job Functions: 

1. Develops an integrated framework for university financial and operational data analytics and reporting, enabling a holistic view across the enterprise for trends and emerging themes, and supporting timely and informed decision-making.
2. Partners with executive leadership and Institutional Effectiveness to identify key performance metrics to assess the impact and success of university initiatives and strategic goals.
3. Collaborates with IT in designing, developing, and maintaining comprehensive reporting solutions that deliver real-time, data-driven insights.
4. Liaises between Finance and other key operating units with IT, translating financial and operating data requirements and spearheading various reporting-related initiatives. This encompasses incorporation of advanced data analysis and optimal visualization techniques within dashboards and reports.
5. Performs collection, analysis, and interpretation of complex data sets to uncover trends, patterns, risks, and actionable insights.
6. Provides data analysis support for financial modeling and realization of benefit from improvement initiatives.
7. Presents complex data findings and recommendations in a clear, concise manner, ensuring understanding and alignment with business goals.
8. Identifies opportunities to optimize and streamline processes, leveraging data insights to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency.
9. Implements best practices in higher education data analytics and stays abreast of emerging trends.
10. Conducts benchmarking studies and peer comparison analyses as directed by senior leadership.
11. Coordinates with IT to ensure underlying data is accurate, consistent, and used effectively to support business objectives.
12. Support ITs in ensuring effective data governance standards to maintain data integrity and support business intelligence initiatives.
13. Assists in ad hoc or special projects as requested.
14. Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements: 

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Knowledge:
1. Higher Education Business Acumen – Comprehensive understanding of the higher education sector, encompassing key performance indicators, business processes, industry trends, and benchmarking resources and practices.
2. Financial Analysis and Reporting - Proficiency in interpreting financial data and preparing and/or reviewing financial statements and reports, identifying trends and providing insights for decision making. Ability to create and interpret complex reports, dashboards, and visualizations.
3. Data Analysis Techniques - Proficiency in statistical analysis, data mining, and predictive modeling.
4. Business Intelligence - Familiarity with BI tools and techniques to transform data into actionable insights.
5. Administration and Management – In-depth knowledge of business and management principles, including strategic planning, resource allocation, budgeting, leadership technique, and/or coordination of people and resources.
6. Advanced knowledge of MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Skills:
1. Analytical Skills – Exceptional ability to analyze data, consolidating information into clear and concise insights.
2. Interpersonal Skills – Proficiency in collaborating across business lines at a senior level to influence change and achieve common goals. Possesses the qualities needed to build and maintain cooperative working relationships within a complex and diverse organization.
3. Effective Communication Skills – Exceptional clarity and effectiveness in both spoken and written communication.
4. Complex Problem-Solving Skills – Advanced skills in diagnosing complex problems, analyzing related information, and developing and implementing solutions.
5. Attention to Detail - Precision in preparing and reviewing financial and operating reports to ensure accuracy and compliance.
6. Project Management - Strong project management skills to oversee data analytics and reporting initiatives from conception to completion.

Abilities:
1. Ability to develop and implement data-driven strategies that align with organizational goals.
2. Ability to analyze complex financial and operational data to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights in order to support high-level business decisions.
3. Ability to effectively translate data requirements and present clear and concise insights.
4. Ability to efficiently manage time, resources, and tasks to ensure productivity and accuracy.
5. Ability to work in a team and motivate others.

Physical Requirements:
1. Near Vision - Must be able to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
2. Speech Recognition - Must be able to identify and understand the speech of another person.
3. Speech Clarity - Must be able to speak clearly so others can understand you.
4. Travel - Must be able to travel on a daily and/or overnight basis.
5. May be required to work nights or weekends.
6. May be exposed to short, intermittent, and/or prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing in performance of job duties
7. May be required to accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies, to include but not limited to pens, pencils, and computer keyboards.

Required Certifications/Licensures: 

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree

Major (if required: Finance, accounting, data analytics/science, mathematics or related field.

Required Experience: 1. Seven (7) or more years of relevant experience in higher education financial and operational data analysis and reporting.
2. Five (5) or more years of relevant experience in a leadership role influencing decisions with analytics.

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Master’s degree in business administration (MBA), finance, data science or related field.
2. Experience in higher education consulting or auditing.
3. Experience with health care industry.

Is this a safety sensitive position? No  

Background Screening Required?  Yes  

Pre-Employment Conditions: 

Sensitivity Disclaimer: Nova Southeastern University is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodation when necessary.

NSU considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status or any other legally protected status.