About this Data Analyst - Institutional Research and Analytics (IAR) role at Western Governors University
If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.
Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.
The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.
At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Job Description
If you're energized by solving complex problems, uncovering insights in data, and helping leaders make better decisions, this role offers the opportunity to make a measurable impact. We are seeking a curious, driven Data Analyst who can transform data into actionable intelligence and help accelerate decision-making through analytics, forecasting, and compelling data storytelling.
Impact
What You'll Do
- Partner with stakeholders to understand business challenges, document analytics requirements, and translate user stories into technical solutions.
- Extract, clean, transform, and analyze data from multiple sources to evaluate hypotheses, identify trends, and generate actionable insights.
- Design, build, and maintain dashboards, reports, and visualizations using tools such as Tableau and Power BI.
- Collaborate with Data Engineering teams on ETL/ELT processes, data pipelines, and data quality initiatives.
- Identify, investigate, and resolve data issues while helping ensure the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of institutional data assets.
- Communicate findings through data storytelling, presentations, workshops, and written deliverables tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Support forecasting, KPI development, and strategic initiatives through thoughtful analysis and recommendations.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's Degree in a related discipline.
- 3 years of related experience in Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Data Science, Statistics, Decision Intelligence, Research, Learning Science, or Behavioral/Cognitive Psychology.
- Advanced SQL proficiency, including experience with queries and subqueries, joins, aggregation, window functions, common table expressions (CTEs), views, data manipulation (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE), and performance optimization.
- Experience using Tableau, Power BI, or similar business intelligence tools to develop impactful dashboards and visualizations.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations.
- Knowledge of relational databases, data modeling concepts, and descriptive statistical methods.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities independently while demonstrating sound judgment, accountability, and a bias for action.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including advanced Excel capabilities.
Bonus Points
- Experience presenting analyses and recommendations to executive leaders.
- Project management experience, including exposure to Agile, Waterfall, SDLC, or related methodologies.
- Experience with forecasting, KPI development, data modeling, or supporting ETL processes.
- Background demonstrating exceptional academic achievement, professional growth, or a successful transition into analytics from another discipline.
Experience in Lieu of Education
What to Expect
- Introductory call
- Hiring manager interview
- Technical panel interview
- Interview with Senior Director
Work Location
Visa Sponsorship
Travel Requirement
Position & Application Details
Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.
Additional Information
Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.
Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].
Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.
