Research and Data Associate

Employer Info:

New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education

https://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/

The Secretary of Higher Education is the primary advisor to the Governor on higher education initiatives and incentive programs. The Secretary reviews requests for State support from institutions and communicates with educational leaders across the State to advance education at all levels. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education works to ensure that our richly diverse population of full and part-time students has access to a high-quality higher education. The agency administers the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program for disadvantaged students. The agency reviews petitions from higher education institutions seeking to expand their missions, and the agency reviews licensure petitions and conducts site visits before new colleges or universities are permitted to open in the State. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education is the lead agency of communication with the federal government concerning higher education issues. The Secretary works to maximize the talent and resources in our colleges and universities, matching world-class research with the needs of industry, the demands of students and the policy goals of the State.
Job Name
Research and Data Associate
Posting Date
07/09/2021
Brief Description
The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s (OSHE) division of Finance, Research, and
Accountability is responsible for compiling and analyzing data on the state’s colleges and universities. The
principal data collection tool is New Jersey’s Student Unit Record (SURE) system. The research unit also
supports institutions in reporting data to the national Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS). The information received from institutions is processed to create reports on all facets of their
operations, including student and faculty enrollment, retention, completion, and finances, among other facts.
Analysis of this data is used in reports and made available to the higher education and wider communities.
The data and analysis presented is done in collaboration with our institutional research colleagues at New
Jersey’s colleges and universities.
The Research and Data Associate for OSHE will be responsible for supporting the Research unit in
performing the day-to-day functions of receiving, reviewing and analyzing the SURE files submitted by
institutions, as well as assisting in the completion of the federal IPEDS surveys. The incumbent will also
assist in aiding the move of our current data system to a new SQL database platform. This position will
require the ability to work with data from many different partners and assist in automating the data
collection and cleaning/editing to ensure accurate and complete data sets for analysis. This is a great entry
level position to gain exposure to different technical tools and work in a growing and exciting agency
dedicated to supporting students within higher education and provide sound empirical support for OSHE’s
policy, planning, and research functions.
Job Category
Institutional Research
Job Type
Full-Time
Education Level Required
Bachelors
Location City
Trenton, NJ 08625, United states
How to Apply
A complete application must include a cover letter addressing how your experience and skills meet
the qualifications, resume, a 3-5 page analytic work sample, and a one-page writing sample (may be an
excerpt from a longer document/report/study).
Interested applicants that meet the requirements listed above should send a complete application as
stated above to:humanresources@oshe.nj.gov.
Direct Link
Click here for more info
Job Details
MAJOR PRIORITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Obtain data from appropriate internal and external sources and perform analysis of OSHE, Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA), and other data sources as needed/available.
  • Assist in the maintenance, storage and reporting from the OSHE SURE data system (SQL Server Database). Process individual and multiple SURE files submitted from institutions using this system and the error reports to assist in cleaning and loading final production quality data into the SURE system. Be the premier user of this system and assist in writing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports to provide the needed data out of the system.
  • Assist with the compilation of statutorily required reports and assist the Director, and Research and Data Analyst in compiling the IPEDS reports for SURE participating institutions in New Jersey.
  • Assist the Director in completing internal and external data requests using SURE data and NJ Institutional data from IPEDS.
  • Assists in the production of statutorily required reports like the student/parent consumer information act, institutional profile reports, Open Educational Resources (OER) annual report, reporting on 3+1 programs, the annual transfer report, as well as any other legislatively mandated report required.
  • Assist the Director, and Research and Data Analyst in responding to various Bill comments and assist in the policy and legislative liaison with other personnel across the agency.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of a student financial aid SURE file data collection effort being federally funded by a federal SLDS grant. Support the file collection and use of data.
  • Assist the Director with analysis of academic program cost data in concert with the Outcomes-Based Allocation and Institutional MOUs.
  • Ability to handle confidential records and sensitive documents with discretion.
  • Capable of performing effectively in a fast-paced environment under strict and overlapping deadlines.
  • Ability to master new and emerging technologies to the benefit of the agency.
  • Uncompromising attention to accuracy and detail with the ability to work independently and effectively with all segments of the OSHE.
  • On a project basis, supervise and integrate the work of OSHE fellows and interns into appropriate portfolio of work within the unit.
  • Provide support to our internal state and federal grants with program performance data.
  • Other duties, as assigned by the Secretary of Higher Education, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and/or the Director of Research and Analysis.
 QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other agency staff and with research staff in other education agencies and at institutions of higher education.
  • Candidate must possess significant problem solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Problems are highly varied and complex, requiring new concepts and approaches.
  • Ability to review and synthesize literature, conduct statistical analyses, interpret data, and identify trends.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information.
  • Proficiency in technology and the use of integrated information systems. Adept at query development, report writing, and presentation of findings. Knowledge of SQL is a plus.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • General knowledge of financial aid program objectives and procedures and of campus financial aid operations a plus.
  • Knowledge of higher education operations related to accountability, institutional effectiveness, institutional research, assessment, and enrollment management a plus.
  • Proficiency in research-oriented software, such as statistical software (e.g. SPSS, SAS, and STATA).
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
 REQUIREMENTS
  • Education: A bachelor’s degree in the social sciences, mathematics, statistics, computer science, information management, or a related field with coursework in research methods and statistics.
  • Experience: Three years of experience in research or policy development and implementation. At least one year of experience in research design and use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.