Data & Research Analyst (Johnstown)

Job Scope

The Data and Research Analyst acts as the primary contact for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at Penn Highlands Community College by collecting, extracting, transforming, loading (ETL), analyzing, visualizing, reporting, and presenting institutional data. Using SQL for database queries, relational databases, ETL processes, MS Excel, Power BI and Tableau, or other business intelligence or data visualization tools, and basic mathematical/statistical and research methods. The Analyst builds data pipelines and collection processes, creates interactive dashboards and reports, handles ad hoc requests, prepares state/federal compliance submissions, supports grant and project activities and internal reporting, and delivers actionable insights to leadership, administrators, and faculty.

Working within the Information Technology Department, the role fosters a data-informed culture through clear report writing and accessible visualizations, while providing a consistent, standards-based view of key metrics—including student outcomes, financial benchmarks, and other indicators—to advance the College’s strategic plan, mission, and vision, and to inform decision-making, strategic planning, assessment, program review, and continuous improvement.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness
   • Provides overall direction to the College’s research and planning functions and collaborates with other departments to ensure integration of activities.
   • Acts as the primary contact for institutional effectiveness efforts, including academic assessment and program review.
   • Inspires a culture of evidence‑based decision making and advocates for research, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
   • Collaborates across college operations to integrate data into strategic planning, KPIs, and annual progress reporting.
   • Identifies and updates KPIs to measure strategic plan progress and prepares reports for the Board of Trustees.
   • Supports new initiatives, grant development, and academic program review through data extracts, metrics, trend analyses, and visualizations.
   • Participates in team projects related to data governance, quality improvement, and institutional effectiveness.
   • Assists in the development and implementation of the Institutional Department budget.
   • Serves as a College representative at relevant state meetings and conferences.
2. Data Management, ETL, and Database Administration
   • Performs ETL processes to extract data from relational databases and other sources, clean/transform datasets, and load them into reporting tools, warehouses, or visualization platforms.
   • Works with IT to ensure data integrity and accuracy; recommends new processes and enhancements to data collection, storage, and reporting.
   • Writes, optimizes, and maintains complex SQL queries to extract, manipulate, join, and analyze data from enterprise systems for routine, ad hoc, and custom reporting.
   • Maintains and queries relational databases; ensures data integrity, performs validation, merges, script creation, version control, and edits to support accurate analysis and reporting.
   • Documents data processes, SQL queries, ETL workflows, report/dashboard designs, and methodologies for reproducibility and auditability.
3. Data Analysis, Statistics, and Research Methods
   • Applies basic statistical methods (descriptive statistics, frequencies, correlations, trends, t‑tests, chi‑square) and research methods (quantitative/qualitative design, survey analysis) to interpret institutional data and identify patterns.
   • Assists with survey design, administration, and analysis using tools such as SurveyMonkey.
   • Organizes and summarizes data into readable reports and presentations for non‑research audiences.
   • Oversees requests to conduct human research as defined by federal regulations.
4. Reporting, Dashboards, Visualization, and Communication
   • Develops and maintains interactive dashboards, visualizations, and reports using Power BI and Tableau to communicate metrics and insights to non‑technical stakeholders.
   • Utilizes advanced Excel features (pivot tables, formulas, charts, Power Query) for data manipulation, analysis, and ad hoc reporting, including preparing data for BI tools.
   • Produces high‑quality written reports, summaries, infographics, and presentations that translate complex data into clear, actionable narratives.
   • Responds to internal ad hoc data requests to support enrollment management, student success initiatives, resource allocation, program review, and decision‑making.
   • Prepares and submits external compliance reports (IPEDS, Pennsylvania State Department of Education, PACCC, grant reports, and federal requirements) and supports accreditation processes with accurate data extracts, summaries, and visualizations.
   • Provides oversight and completes all statutory reporting requirements and assists other departments with data collection and reporting as needed.
5. Professional Development and Best Practices
   • Stays current on best practices in institutional research, data analytics, SQL/ETL techniques, visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau), Excel advancements, and basic statistics/research methods through professional development.
6. Other duties as assigned.

Direct Reports

• None

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education plus experience required.

Experience & Knowledge:

• A minimum of three years’ collecting, querying, organizing and analyzing complex data is required.
• Proficiency with technology system design, use, and support and oversight of critical systems and associated technicians.
• Expertise in SQL, relational database systems, Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) techniques, query and report generation tools, statistical packages, and data visualization tools (e.g., Toad, Tableau, R, Python, or SPSS) and the effective application of these to organizational research and reporting activities.

Computer Skills:

• Proficient in basic computer skills.
• Working knowledge of data science concepts: data cleaning and filtering, and exploratory and reproducible research is needed in addition to a thorough understanding of relational databases, reporting tools, and the ability to navigate and utilize underlying database schemas is required in addition to the ability to locate, extract, and consolidate data from multiple, dissimilar, electronic and internet-based sources.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Criminal Background Clearance

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, sit, use a computer keyboard and mouse, talk, and hear.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment:

• Typical office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level.

Additional Notes

1. Please note that employment applications referencing ‘see resume’ or similar phrases are considered incomplete and may not be considered.
2. Please do not call to inquire about the status of your application. Only those candidates chosen for an interview will be contacted.
3. Employment is contingent upon submission and satisfactory review of any background check clearances as may be required by Pennsylvania Act 153. Please refer to our Pre-Employment Background Check Information page for more detailed information.
4. Successful candidate must be authorized to work in the United States and not require work authorization sponsorship by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College for any position now or in the future.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College promotes a drug-free workplace.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.